The Girl in the Street
by Lion01
Summary: Korra and Asami had decided not to have any child. Well… decided… People might say that it wasn't really a choice. What they didn't plan was Asami saving a very young girl and bringing her at home. And maybe, just maybe, they would have to reconsider.
1. A little girl who doesn't talk

**A/N: Hello everyone!**

 **So here is my last OS, which is not an OS, from the last Korrasami week. I hope you'll like it!**

 **I'm sorry for any mistake which is left, but I would really need a beta-reader.**

 **Challenge : Korrasami Week 2017**

 **Theme : Family**

 **Relationship : Korra/Asami**

 **Characters : Korra, Asami _, Isolina (OC), Lin_**

 **Genre : Fluff, Family, _Hurt/comfort, Angst_ _(not sure, because it'll maybe be in the future)_**

 **Rating : T**

 **Words : 4k **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Korra and Asami had decided not to have any child. Well… decided… People might say that it wasn't really a choice.

The thing was, Asami being the CEO of Future Industries and Korra being the Avatar, they were already struggling to have a balanced relationship at the same time as a balanced world. They could not possibly ruin a child's life. They could not sacrifice someone's happiness for theirs. Or at least, that was what they tried think.

After all, they were each other family and they were happy this way. That was the case for Asami. She had no family left. She had just Korra and their friends. Maybe it was enough. Maybe it was not…

She remembered when she was younger dreaming of having a child. But that was years ago! Now, she had a powerful company, which needed her, a powerful wife she loved deeply, but who was always needed.

Plus, when she had been a naive, young girl, she hadn't pictured ending up with another woman, nor with the Avatar… It kind of hadn't really gone the way she had imagined it. But it wasn't a problem! Like, it wasn't a problem at all! She was happy and it was what mattered the most. But sometimes, she thought it would be a different kind of happiness to have a child to take care of… It would be a different family.

For Korra, it was a bit different. Well, actually, she had never really thought about it. The only thing she had been obsessed by, when she had been younger, was being the Avatar.

And then… then, she had tried to find love too, but it was not her duty. It kind of had fallen on her. And she was really glad it had! After all, she was not quite sure she would have managed to be where she was without Asami by her side. Well, of course there were her other friends, but Asami was Asami.

She was so much support, so much love; she was amazing! She had no doubt that she would stay with Asami for the rest of her life. It could only be her. The love of her life. For Korra, this love was sufficient. And actually, she had never tried to see further, she didn't need to. She was just living the present life. And her present life was all she had ever dreamt about.

So, whether for Asami or Korra, they didn't really plan to have a child. Expect that, sometimes, nothing happens as it was planned.

* * *

Asami got out from work. It was not a too tiring day and she was glad of it. Actually, she thought she might even stop to where Korra was supposed to be… if she could remember where she was supposed to be.

For Asami, it was simpler: most of the time she was at the Future Industries' tower. For Korra though, she was always moving, and Asami would not remember where she was half the time. She had a good memory! But she really would need a planning to get where Korra was most of the time. Maybe she was on the triads' sides? She had talked about it… Well, it wouldn't hurt to check… normally.

She checked she had her glove, because you never knew what could happen on their territory. Then, she hopped in the car and began driving through the city. She let the wind caress her hair and lighten her thoughts. Being in an office most of the day couldn't do that. It was so relaxing to drive!

She drove to the possibly dangerous area she wanted to get to. She kept driving, looking around to see if the Avatar showed up. But, it was like all silent, all weird, nothing was moving, nothing was around, which was really odd. Even when some dirty things were going on, there was always something happening in here! Maybe Korra or the police had just passed by? But then, wouldn't the inhabitants be out?

Asami looked around again; maybe she missed something. But she saw nothing. Nothing except maybe that little thing moving down the street, on the right… Perhaps it was someone who could help her. She decided to park her car rather than to turn around. The street was too little, and she didn't want to go farther while that someone might go away.

Once out of the car — she, of course, had taken her glove —, she began walking toward the street, which was now on her left. She walked, and she heard some strange noises. Maybe it was voices… But she thought no one was out!

She started walking faster toward the street, and she saw a few figures in it. What was weird was that there was a little, tiny figure among them. The closer Asami got, the more she saw that it was three men, with a little girl. What was she doing with them?

Well, she could imagine one of them would be her father, or one of her relatives, but… something was off. Thhey looked a bit strange. The young child was with a little soft toy in her hands, walking and staring at the ground, hugging it tightly. She looked… lonely, and lost, in some kind of way.

As for them, they were too proud, too careless, too… bad-looking. They had that awful smirk on their faces. And they were talking to the girl now. She wasn't responding. Asami got closer, trying to catch what they were saying.

"Come on, we won't leave you here. The street's dangerous, y'know. Why don't you come with us, little girl? We could use your help and you would have a place to live."

"Yeah, we don't have many children! But I'm sure some people would love to take care of such a beautiful little girl, if you help them a little…"

"Nothing dangerous, y'know. Just hanging out, caring thing…"

Were they… hiring her? But she was just a child! Now, she understood how Mako and Bolin had ended up working for the triads as children. They had had nothing and triads had been able to provide them what was needed.

She didn't know about the little girl but she certainly didn't want to join them. And even if she did, it would be a great mistake, a mistake Asami could prevent. She was going to make them leave.

"Guys, you should leave the girl alone," Asami said, not wanting to fight just yet.

She had a tiny bit of hope they would leave without questioning her. However, it didn't happen:

"What are you doing here, girl? Can't you see we're talking business? Now, go and you won't be hurt, since I'm in a good day."

"Leave the girl alone and _you_ won't be hurt."

"Now, now, now, looks like we have a courageous one! Who are you? Her mum?"

"I'm just a concerned citizen, and I say the girl is leaving with me."

"The girl is ours. Guys, get rid of her."

Two of the men rushed toward her. One had fire in her hand and the other one was an earthbender. She quickly knocked them out, before they could use any bending against her.

"Go, or I'll do the same thing to you," she warned.

"Sure, that was what I was thinking…" he said, ironically.

Well, then it was a fight! He was a firebender, like the first one she knocked out. He tried to blow some punches at her and she rushed forward. She bent to make him fall with a kick in the legs, and shocked him.

It was pretty easy. These guys underestimated her. But now, she had a bigger problem: the little girl. What was she supposed to do with her?

She kneeled down to talk to the girl, who was still staring at the ground, but who had stopped walking.

"Hey, are you okay?" Asami asked, concerned. "Where are your parents? You shouldn't be alone. It's pretty dangerous down here, you know…"

The girl didn't respond, and the CEO didn't know what to say.

She brushed a strand of black hair out of the girl's face to see more than just the top of her head. The contact almost made the black-haired girl move back, but she just looked up at her savior, without saying anything.

Asami was struck by the girl's blue eyes. They were almost white, actually. It was such a beautiful contrast with her dark hair. But what was even more striking was the wounds she had on her cheeks, her puffy eyes, and that deep sadness inside of them. What had happened to her?

"Do you want me to take you somewhere? It's really not safe, I can't leave you here."

The girl lowered her head once more and Asami was clueless. All she knew was that she couldn't leave this little girl alone here. But where should she go?

Maybe… well, the best was the police. Maybe Beifong would have a solution. She knew the gray-haired woman was not the sweetest person to make a little girl talk, but maybe she could find her a place to stay for a while. The problem now was how was she going to make the girl want to come with her?

"Listen, I'm not leaving you here. I'm bringing you to the police station, if that's fine? I mean, they may be able to help you… My car is down the street…"

Mentally, she was telling herself that she sounded like a psychopath abducting a child.

"Okay, maybe you don't want me to help you… I mean, I'm just an adult, and I could be like these guys and could harm you. Um… I can understand you don't want to come with me, but you can't stay alone, and certainly not here. I don't want to force you, so please, come with me. I just want to help you. You won't owe me anything! You won't have to do anything. It's just for you."

The girl didn't move and Asami couldn't do more. She hoped the girl would follow her, because she didn't want to 'kidnap' her. She sighed and got up, starting walking back to her car.

She started feeling bad for leaving the girl alone, for leaving a child in the street, but what should she do? Maybe she was leaving nearby. Maybe she was just going to her parents. Maybe she didn't need her help.

All these thoughts stopped, and she almost jumped out of surprise, when a little hand gripped hers. Asami looked next to her, and the girl was here, still looking at the ground, but following her.

"Thank you," Asami said, softy.

She couldn't be happier. She stayed silent though, because the girl didn't want to talk. Or, maybe she didn't know? Well, she was supposed to know how to talk. She was maybe 4 or 5 years old. Maybe a little bit more. Asami could not say. She didn't try to figure out, and just walked with the girl to her car. When they reached it, Asami noticed there was going to be a little problem:

"Oh, spirits, I'm stupid! I don't have a child seat. Well, we're not supposed to have an accident, but one never knows… Just don't move. I think I have an idea."

Asami opened the trunk where she had a toolbox. She could certainly take a seat from the back to put on the one of the front. Or rather, it was what she hoped managing to do. And after a few minutes, it was what she actually did.

"Okay, now, it's better. Let's go."

She waited for the girl to get in the car, and fastened her seat belt. Then, she did the same for herself and headed toward the police station.

When she got out of the car, as well as the girl, the latter took her hand once more. Asami smiled to her, even if she was looking straight forward. It was moving how the girl were clinging to her. The young adult thought that she must have been alone for a while… It was like she felt a bit more secured like that. And Asami was glad to inspire this trust.

They walked into the police station and the CEO asked to see Lin. The older woman showed up a few minutes later.

"Miss Sato, what are you doing here?" the police chief asked, with her usual rash ton of voice.

She then noticed the girl, holding onto the young woman.

"Who's this?"

"Actually, I don't know."

Before she could explain, Lin continued:

"You don't know? You have a child holding your hand and you don't know who she is?"

"Yeah… It's complicated. But to make it simple, I found her in triads' territory, and I thought you might help me find her parents. She doesn't want to talk, so I don't know what to do…"

The gray-haired woman grunted before responding:

"Let's get a room."

They went into an interrogation room, and Lin sat across the two seats where Asami and the girl, who wouldn't release her, were.

"So… what's your name?" Lin asked, not really sweet, as Asami expected.

The girl tightened her grip, feeling attacked and frightened. Asami felt it and tried to ease her.

"It's okay, sweetie," she said, with the softest voice ever. "The woman here is the chief of police, she just wants to help you."

The girl looked up at her with these fearful, blue eyes, and Asami was not sure if she was going to talk. It didn't look like it…

"I need to know your name to contact your parents," Lin explained.

The girl looked at her feet and kept quiet.

"Do you know where you live, then?" Lin tried again.

The girl kept staring at her feet, silent.

"I can't help you if you say nothing…" Lin said, a bit disappointed.

She really could do nothing for the girl, but she was not willing to talk. The two women waited, but the girl didn't move nor talked.

"Asami," Lin called, "let's talk outside."

The CEO nodded and got up. The girl held her hand strongly, as if to say: "do not leave".

"I'm coming back. I promise," Asami swore. "We just have to have a grown-up talk. I'm sure you wouldn't like it. Just stay here and I'll come back. Okay?"

The girl loosened her grip and Asami freed her hand, walking out of the room, where Lin was waiting for her. She closed the door, leaving the little girl alone.

"I can't do anything, Asami," Lin admitted. "She doesn't want to talk! I'm not even sure she talks…"

"She understands. I'm sure she knows how to speak. She's maybe a bit lost… or shy, or whatever. What about finding her a family to stay with? She needs someone to take care of her and make her feel comfortable enough to talk."

"I'm afraid I can't…" Lin grimaced.

"Why?"

"We went to the triads' today, freeing dozens of children they hired to do their dirty work. And we're struggling to find a family for each of them. Do I have to remind you we already have to relocate some citizens because of dangerous buildings? She may wait for days until we find her a place to stay, maybe more. Or she'll stay here. It's not really a place for young children, though."

Asami grimaced. That was not good.

"You could take her with you," Lin added.

"What?" Asami asked, surprised.

"I said you could take her with you."

"Yeah, I got it, thanks."

Lin shrugged and started to explain her point:

"I mean, it looks like she likes you. She's clinging onto you and you obviously want to make sure she's safe."

"Yeah, I know, but don't we have some kind of papers to fill for that? Unless you entrust children to anyone."

"Well, usually we make sure the person is safe, but I can make an exception for once."

"You would do that?" Asami smirked, knowing how rigid Lin could be.

"I know how to find you if anything goes wrong. And I'm pretty sure you can't disappear with a company counting on you. Oh, and the Avatar would destroy half the earth to find you. So, I'm pretty sure I can trust you with this girl."

Asami chuckled. That was a pretty good point.

"Anyway, do you take her or not?"

"Yeah… Um… Yeah."

While she was saying that, she wondered if Korra would be okay with it… But she thought about it too late, and she just couldn't leave the girl here, anyway. So, her wife was going to deal with it. But maybe she wouldn't explain this way… She would think about it later.

"Then, go get her," the chief of police ordered. "I'll fill the papers."

"Okay, Lin. Thanks! See you!"

The older woman waved and got back to work, while Asami was entering the room again. The girl barely moved.

Asami kneeled down again, facing her.

"So… I talked with the chief of police…" the CEO started, actually wondering if the girl would be okay staying with her. "And I thought you would rather come with me than stay in here. Is that okay, though? I mean, you'll maybe stay with me for a few days and we'll try searching for your family."

The girl didn't move first, nor talked. But then, she put her little arms around Asami's neck, as if to say: "thank you". The young woman hugged her back, raising her from the chair. She left the police station with the little girl in her arms.

Now, she just had to go home and talk to Korra. It shouldn't be too complicated…

* * *

Asami didn't know whether she should try harder to make the girl talk or leave her alone.

It had been two hours since they came back to the mansion and she was still quiet, too quiet… She was just sitting on a chair, drawing on some papers Asami gave her. The young CEO had tried numerous times to get a little sound out of the girl's mouth, but nothing had reached her ears.

So, she was just watching the girl drawing, trying to see if her drawings could show her anything. Maybe she really didn't know how to talk, maybe she was even mute. Then, she would draw or write something, right? However, from what Asami was seeing, it was nothing really… precise.

Asami thought she would just be patient. She could not force her to do something. Maybe Korra would have more luck than her… She was the Avatar, after all; the girl might know her. Speaking of whom, she had just arrived.

"Hey, Asami! Guess what? Some of the… Who's she?" Korra asked once she had noticed the little girl.

"Hi, Korra! Um… Well, I don't know her name. It's a long story."

"Did I miss nine months and I don't know how many years of our life?"

Asami chuckled and went to Korra.

"No, you didn't. She's going to stay with us for a little while, if that's okay. She was all alone in the street. I could not leave her there! And I went to Beifong, she said no one could take care of her. So, I thought we could do it for a few days or so."

"Okay… And she has no name?"

"She doesn't want to talk. At least with me. Don't you want to try? Maybe because you're the Avatar, she may trust you more."

"Sure."

Korra got closer to the girl and Asami followed her. The Avatar kneeled down, presenting herself:

"Hi, I'm Korra. I'm leaving in here too, so we'll be housemate. I'm also the Avatar. I don't know if your parents talked to you about me… I have to maintain balance in the world. I just want to help people. I certainly can help you too. May I know your name?"

The girl stared at her, but didn't say anything. Korra, after a few seconds, looked back at Asami, who shrugged. Well, that was a good try. She got up and turned around.

"I'm not sure she wants to talk right now, maybe later?"

"I hope so…" Asami responded, a little annoyed.

"Oh, Asami… Don't look so sad," Korra said, softy, cupping the other woman's cheek. "You know, during the first days I spent in that compound in the South, I wouldn't talk to anyone because I was far from my parents for the first time. So, she just needs time too."

The pale-skinned woman put her hand on Korra's in agreement.

"How was your day?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Tiring. I was with Beifong and we freed several children."

"Yeah, that was what I've been heard."

"Maybe she's one of them…" Korra added.

They both looked at the young child, who was staring at them with wide eyes.

"And how was your day?" the Avatar asked, resuming their conversation.

"Fine. I mean, tiring, and I had to fight against three men to save her. But beside that, everything was fine."

"Good," Korra said, approaching Asami's ear. "Do you think I can kiss you in front of the girl, or that would be inappropriate, because, let's be honest, I would have done it much earlier if it weren't for her."

Asami chuckled. Of course, Korra not kissing her when she came back home was all too weird.

"I don't know, Korra… Maybe her parents…"

But Asami didn't manage to finish her sentence, because of Korra's lips on hers.

"Why are you two kissing?" a little voice said.

The two women almost jumped out of surprise, breaking their kiss. Saying that they were surprised was actually an understatement. They both looked at the young girl, and then at each other, excited. She talks! they thought.

Asami was the one to squat down to face the girl and answer:

"We kiss because we love each other."

She didn't know if the girl had never seen two people kiss, or if she was just curious.

"I've never seen two women kiss before," the girl said.

Ah, yeah. Asami often forgot that little, tiny detail.

"Well… Sometimes, two women can fall in love, just like two men can, and a man and a woman."

She had never imagined herself explaining that to a very young girl. It was a funny situation, though, as long as it's not awkward.

"Does it mean I could fall in love with a woman too?" she asked, curious.

"Maybe when you'll be older. Who knows? You're a bit young for now to think about things like that."

The girl looked like she understood and went back drawing. Asami looked at her wife, behind her: what was she supposed to do? The Avatar nodded at the young child, inciting Asami to continue talking, and maybe get some information.

"Sweetie," Asami started to say to the girl, "I need to know some things if you're going to live here. You don't have to say what you don't want to, okay? But maybe your name and your age to start?"

Two light, blue eyes turned to her, stopping focusing on the drawing.

"Why do you need to know?"

What a strange question!

"Well, I need to know how I can call you, and it's better if I know your age."

The girl nodded.

"The last people I told my name were not even using it…"

"But I will. I really want to know how you're called."

She nodded again.

"I'm Isolina. I'm five."

"Ok, thanks for telling me. You can trust us, you know."

"Does that mean you're going to stop calling me 'sweetie'? I like it. My mother called me like that."

"I…" Asami began, unable to find an answer. "No, I won't stop. But I can't call you that all the time. People are going to think it's your name!"

The girl smiled and Asami was happy. Maybe she'd get her to open up…

* * *

 **A/N: How about leaving a review? It'll help me continuing it. I'll continue this story later on. I've already started the second chapter. Hum... Yeah, I don't know what to say. I hope you liked it! And I'll have to take a break during it soon, which can't be helped. I don't know how fast I will be, but I'll surely** **disappear for a few weeks on July.**

 **See you!**

 **Lion**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **Here is a direct sequel to the first chapter! Since I'm writing the French version at the same time, it might take long for me to update, but it's for the best (I'm way better in my own language).**

 **I'm sorry for any mistake left! Feel free to tell me, even if it's little. I hate them deeply x)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

For a while, the two women leftthe little girl to her drawings. She was on a table, with her sheets of paper, her pencils and her purple stuffed bear, focused on her work of art. It was, apparently, some… fireworks? It was really colorful anyway.

Then, the three of them ate. The little girl was still really quiet, but Korra and Asami decided to let her talk whenever she wanted to, and, of course, if she didn't want to, it was okay too.

So, they were living in a calm silence, exceptwhen the two women talked. However, they were afraid of shutting her out by talking too much. They didn't want her to feel rejected: she had to feel comfortable.

The thing was, she was shutting herself out all by herself. So, they first thought they would leave her alone for some time. Meanwhile, they talked about some serious stuff:

"So… hum…" Korra started, "did you think about how we're going to take care of her? It's maybe just a few days, but we have busy days ahead of us…"

"I didn't," Asami admitted with aplomb.

"You didn't? Look at this, the legendary monster of planning and organization, Asami Sato, didn't plan anything!"

"It's not funny, Korra! I didn't think… She was just like a little, abandoned kitten; I could not possibly leave her like that. I know I put us in a difficult position, but…"

Korra put her hands on Asami's shoulders to interrupt her. The green eyes were caught by the solid and determined, blue ones.

"Okay, stop that," the Avatar ordered, firmly. "It's okay. I certainly would have done the same thing… Well, that's how I got Naga, except that she wasn't supposed to stay only for a few days, but more like… forever. I'm okay with the girl living with us, it's just that I don't know how we're going to manage it."

"She doesn't require much attention, I could take her at the office tomorrow. And maybe I can plan a few days off to take care of her…"

"You don't do that for me!" Korra pouted, jokingly.

"Well, every time I try, you're going away from me."

"True. But you can't most of the time."

"Also true."

"I'm tired," a little voice said from downward.

The two women almost jumped out of surprise. Once they noticed that it was only Isolina, they calmed down thinking they would have to get used to it.

Asami looked at the time: it was 9:13 p.m. A bit late for a young child. Realizing that, the CEO thought she would have to be more aware of what Isolina needed. She could not possibly live like two grown-up women. Asami might have to change her habits…

"Okay… Do you want to shower before going to bed?" she suggested. "I don't know how long you've been in the street…"

"Just one day," Isolina answered as if it were one of the most natural things in the world.

"Okay… I'll show you where it is, but… do you need me to wash you?"

"Asami, she's five. I don't think she needs you to help her…" Korra interrupted, exasperated.

"You needed me, and you were twenty-one," Asami responded maliciously, with a smirk.

"Hey!" the Avatar protested, about to express how unfair it was to use such an argument against her when she had no possibility to respond in front of the girl.

But before she could justify, Isolina chuckled putting her two hands on her laughing, baby face.

"Oh, I see, you two girls team up against me," the Avatar said crossing her arms and pouting.

"What do you think, Isolina? Can we defeat the all-mighty Avatar, master of all elements?"

The girl chuckled again, responding to Asami's smile.

"I'm not only the master of all elements…"

"Aren't you?" Asami responded, curious about the answer.

She glanced at Korra, who was wearing a bit of a wolfish smile and predatory eyes, all of that in a playful mood.

"I'm also the master of tickles!" she exclaimed, before throwing herself on Asami.

She started tickling her wife's sides. The latter struggled in these strong arms which were holding her waist, even if she was laughing hard. She screamed then, laughing:

"Ah! Run, Isolina! Run! She'll come get you!"

The young child burst out laughing, starting to escape clumsily with her little and uncertain steps, on her little feet.

"Oh, no. You won't get away that easily," the evil Avatar said.

She tortured Asami a little harder, seizing the girl while she was recovering. She tickled Isolina a little softer than Asami, not wanting to break the girl, who was like some kind of fragile object for her.

She laughed hard with that young, innocent laugh that only a child could have. But Asami, still smiling inanely, tried to free her ally by attacking their common enemy. The Avatar struggled, the girl still in her hand.

"Oh no! I'm attacked! You fool!"

She laughed heartily as Asami dug her fingers in her ribs and in her neck, so much so that she needed to go down on one of her knees in order not to collapse onto the floor.

"Stop it, Asami! I'm surrendering, I'm surrendering!" the Avatar begged, tears from laughing in her eyes.

"See, Isolina? We won!" the CEO stated, stopping her gentle torture and letting Korra recover and free Isolina.

"Yeah!" the girl shouted, laughing and smiling more than she had had since Asami had met her.

The CEO smiled too. Then, she remembered the time.

"Okay, now, with this brilliant victory, let's prepare to go to bed."

Asami walked out of the kitchen, where they had been until then, and asked Isolina to follow her. She guided her to the bathroom, before talking:

"So, here it is… um… Shout if you need me? Don't listen to Korra, she's got separated from her parents pretty soon, so she assumes every child is able to take care of themselves. Well, for this kind of things, not the money thing or the food thing… She barely manages it today."

Asami winked, trying to be funny by teasing her wife.

"I am hearing you, Asami!" Korra shouted from elsewhere.

"I know!" Asami shouted back, smiling. "Well, I'm here if you need me," she continued for Isolina.

"It should be okay…" Isolina said, fidgeting, a bit unsure and nervous. "But… what should I wear then? I don't have any other clothes but the ones I'm wearing…"

"Spirits! I didn't think of that!" Asami grimaced.

The more time passed, the more she realized that she was not ready at all to take care of the young girl.

"But I did," Korra said from behind the other woman.

"You did?" Asami asked, surprised, turning herself to face the Avatar.

"Don't look so surprised! I have a brain too, ma'am the CEO. Besides, isn't it my job to think of all the things you don't?"

Asami kissed Korra briefly before answering.

"It is, what did you think as a solution?"

"I called Bolin and Opal. They have some clothes from their daughter, who is now older than Isolina and too big to wear those clothes. I'm sorry Isolina, but all shops are closed right now, and I didn't think of a better solution."

"I'm okay with it."

"Good. Then, I'd better go. I'll be back soon!"

Korra got away, took her kite and flew out of the mansion to Bolin and Opal's house.

"You know what?" Asami said. "We'll get you some clothes tomorrow. I just have to…"

Find time. She'd have to find time to do that.

However, she didn't finish her sentence, not wanting the girl to worry, or to make her feel as if she were a problem. Instead, she started a new one:

"I'll manage it. So, I let you do what you have to do. Take your time. And remember, I'm here if you need me."

"Thanks, Asami."

The woman smiled. Once Isolina disappeared in the bathroom, the CEO was already planning how to gain some time for the next day.

She settled down in the living room and took her agenda. Maybe she could cancel a few things… But actually, meetings were not what took her all her time, but all the responsibilities were, including lots of paperwork.

Korra got back a few minutes later, with a bag full of clothes.

"She's still showering?" Korra asked.

"Yeah," Asami answered, trapped in her thoughts.

"Have you thought about giving her a towel?"

Asami grunted, frustrated.

"No, I forgot," she admitted. "I'm not very good at this, am I?"

"No, you're tired and not prepared," Korra corrected. "It's different."

She dropped the bag, putting it against the legs of Asami's chair. Then, she massaged her shoulders lightly for her to relax. The CEO let her body slightly loosen itself, exhaling a light breath of satisfaction and closing delicately her green eyes.

Soon, however, Korra stopped and kissed her on the temple, as she had heard the water stop running.

"I'll take care of it," she said, taking back the bag full of clothes. "You should prepare her a room, though."

"Yeah, I'll do that."

While Korra was bringing "new" clothes to Isolina, Asami prepared a guest room, not far from theirs, for the girl.

It was not long before she arrived, brought by Korra. She was wearing white and purple pajamas, matching her stuffed animal which was always with her. However, the pajamas were a bit too big.

Asami squatted down to talk to Isolina.

"So, here is your room. Is it okay?"

The girl looked around with her light, blue eyes, and then nodded.

"Good. I'll be just next door if you need anything," Asami said. "Feel free to come. We'll be happy to help you with anything."

The girl nodded again. It looked like she decided not to talk anymore.

The two women put Isolina to bed, making sure she'd feel comfortable, before exiting the room to let the girl sleep peacefully.

Then, they went to bed too.

Most of the time they didn't go to bed that early, but Asami was afraid of Isolina getting lost in the mansion while looking for them so, she preferred staying where the girl could find them.

They talked a bit, already under the covers. Eventually, Asami blurted out of nowhere:

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" asked Korra, incredulous.

"Isolina. I did everything on impulse and I didn't even think of you. Plus, I'm not prepared to take care of her. At all."

"Asami, stop thinking like that. You did what you thought was right and I think you were right to do so. As long as the girl is comfortable with us, it's okay, don't you think?"

"I don't know…"

"She trusts you, Asami."

"Yeah, and I'll find her family. We have to."

"I'm sure you will."

Korra and Asami kissed lightly, in a tender kiss where the dark-skinned hands ran through the raven hair, and were the pale ones cupped the brown-skinned face. But, interrupting them, a little voice said:

"I can't sleep."

Isolina was at the door—which they had left open on purpose—, looking at them and holding her little, purple, stuffed animal, which was dragged beside her, in one hand. Was she going to bump into them kissing every time?

Asami looked at the time. It was more than 11 p.m. She was certainly too afraid to sleep alone.

"Then, come," the CEO said.

The girl came closer and climbed into the bed. She went to Asami who put her under the covers with them.

"You sleep in the same bed too?" the girl asked, curious.

Her innocence and naivety made Asami smile.

"Well, isn't it what couples do?" she answered.

"I guess it is…"

The young CEO caressed the black hair of the girl, a soothing movement to make her fall asleep. But the girl shuddered, when she touched her.

"Do you want me to stop?" Asami asked, worried she made her uncomfortable.

The girl shook her head and came closer to Asami's body, pressing herself against her. Asami stopped moving a little, stiffening up slightly, and looked at Korra. She was a bit surprised: she was not expecting the girl to be that affectionate.

Finally, she resumed her movement and Korra shrugged.

"You're cold," Isolina said.

And she went to Korra, whose eyes widened.

Actually, she hadn't found that surprising that the girl went to Asami: she had saved her, so she certainly had developed some kind of affection toward her. And Asami had been very sweet and caring all the time. Which was not as true for Korra. She certainly was kind in her own way, but she had been with the child less time.

But there she was, pressed against her to find warmth. Asami smirked at Korra's confusion, continuing to stroke Isolina's hair.

Soon, the young girl was peacefully asleep.

"Looks like she likes you," Asami murmured.

"Only because you're not warm enough for her," Korra responded as low as her wife.

"I don't think so. She would not approach you at all otherwise."

Korra hummed.

"We should sleep too," Asami added.

"Yeah… I would do that if I weren't afraid of squashing her while I'm asleep!"

Asami softly chuckled.

"Come on, Korra. You won't."

She kissed her wife good night, because there was no more to add. Korra didn't quite agree with that. She was not serene at all about sleeping with this little thing against her. However, she eventually fell asleep and didn't destroy the girl while sleeping.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! How about leaving a review? I would be happy to know what you think!**

 **I have a lot to do for the next chapters, because I don't like them at all. So, I have to change a few things... or more. I just hope I won't get discouraged. If you have anything you're hoping for, if you want me to know anything, I'll be glad to read that in a review!**

 **See you!**

 **Lion**


	3. Day 1

**A/N: Hi!**

 **Here is another chapter! I hope you'll like it, like the two first ones! It's just a normal day, though x)**

 **By the way, don't expect me to go as fast for the other chapters. I've already written a bit of them, that's why I went that fast for this one. But, I should write xD So, I think I'll update every two weeks. Is that ok? I'll always try to go faster, but maybe I will not even manage to update every two weeks... I'll do as best as I can!**

 **So, now, enjoy!**

* * *

When the two women woke up, they were surprised to find that little body in their bed. However, they eventually remembered what had happened the day before: Isolina hadn't been able to sleep and had come to see them.

Once they got up, they did as usual, only with one more person with them: they breakfasted, got prepared for work and got out. Isolina had not said much, as usual.

Asami kissed Korra and Isolina stared once again at them as if it were some miracle. Maybe they should stop kissing, Asami thought. It was a bit strange to be stared at this way, actually. She brushed those thoughts away, thinking that Korra would never manage not to kiss her. And she was not even sure she could manage it herself.

Asami eventually took the girl at work with her. Her employees stared at her with wide eyes, incredulous. They had never seen their CEO with a child before. And wasn't she supposed not to take her at work? The green-eyed woman ignored them, and climbed up the stairs of the tower of Future Industries, heading straight to her office, with Isolina holding her hand.

She only stopped to talk to her assistant.

"Hi, Lu," Asami said.

He stopped scribbling something on a piece of paper, only to smile at his boss.

"Hi, Miss Sato. Do you need anything?" he asked professionally.

"Actually, I do. Could you please find me a little table with a chair? And, if you have some pieces of paper or games for children, I'll take them."

"You're planning to open a school in your office?" he joked with a smirk, giving up on all the formalities since the request didn't sound very professional.

"No, but I have a girl with me, and I want her to feel comfortable."

She nodded at Isolina and her assistant got up to see her, his desk being too high to see anything beside the chest of the adult people he spoke to.

The young girl was looking through the window, as if something were interesting outside, holding Asami's hand in one of hers and her soft toy in the other one. She actually was chewing the ear of the purple teddy bear.

"Ooooh, I see. So, Korra and you finally adopted?" he asked, curious.

"Not exactly... We're just taking care of her for a few days. Anyway, if you could find those things, it would be perfect. Otherwise, just go back to work, I don't want you to be late on your schedule."

"Yes, Miss Sato."

While her assistant's phone was ringing, requiring his attention, Asami entered her office. She really hoped she would not disturb his work too much with such unusual requests...

She closed the door behind her and Isolina, and kneeled to talk to the girl.

"So, here is my office," she showed almost shyly, with a little smile.

The girl looked around. There wasn't much. The office was painted with warm colors such as red and orange. There was a wooden desk near the window, covered with a bunch of pieces of paper and little objects she didn't know.

Asami got up to sit on her chair, starting to look through the papers on it. She wasn't expecting Isolina to say "nice", because she hadn't talked since the day before. The CEO looked surprised for a bit, and then looked at the girl, smiling tenderly.

"I'm glad you like it," she said. "Someone will bring you something so you don't get bored."

Isolina shrugged. She walked around, looking at everything as if she was expecting to find some kind of miracle while exploring.

While she was doing this, Asami started to think about the problems of the day, like the meeting she had in two hours and how she would have to bring the girl with her.

Not that she thought that Isolina was a problem. She would certainly stay quiet, barely moving, somewhere where no one would be able to notice her.

The problem was that it didn't show a good image of the businesswoman she was. Well, they maybe wouldn't care. After all, her father had brought her to meetings before. But she was not her father.

"Who's this?" Isolina asked, interrupting her thoughts.

The girl could barely see above the desk because she was too little. She was on her tiptoes and pointing at a photo. A photo of Asami, her dad and her mother, years ago.

Asami took the girl on her knees so she could see without struggling for it.

"It was my family," Asami answered with a sad ton of voice.

""It was"? Why "was"?" the girl asked, curious.

"They are gone now. Korra is my family."

The girl nodded.

"My family is gone too," she said.

Asami smiled sadly. The girl was not understanding what she meant by "gone". But she didn't want to tell her that her parents were dead. It would only make her uncomfortable and ask more questions. Which was actually painful.

"We'll find your family, Isolina. I promise."

The girl only lowered her head, as if she didn't believe her. Asami was going to prove her otherwise. She was going to find her parents. But for now, she could only comfort the girl and take care of her the best she could. So, she kissed her on her hair.

Isolina raised her head to see Asami's sweet smile. She smiled back and hugged her. The green eyes greatly softened and their owner caressed the black hair of the young girl slowly.

Asami knew she was going to get attached to that little girl. She was already attached to her, to her innocence, her curiosity, to her great youngness. She was not sure it was going to be really healthy, because when she returned her to her parents, she would be heartbroken. But for now… for now, she would ignore that and take care of her, give her love and support, as much as she needed.

The rest of the hour, they decided to share the chair and the desk. Asami kept Isolina on her knees and worked. As for Isolina, she drew.

Then, they had to go to the meeting Asami had planned. She thought she could almost leave the girl in her office and ask her assistant not to let anyone in. However, this thought vanished quickly when she got up and Isolina was still clinging onto her. It looked like she still needed to have her nearby, or rather really close.

As expected, the meeting was really boring. Asami sometimes let her look go toward Isolina who was playing with her little purple soft toy, in a corner, without making any noise. She didn't manage not to get distracted by this adorable and childish sight. Itmade her smile and drift away several times, but she managed not to let it be noticed... Not much.

When they returned to the office, what she asked to Lu had been brought into it. So, Isolina could go to her own little desk to do whatever she wanted to.

Asami worked for hours, looking from time to time to the girl to make sure she was okay and also because she was an adorable distraction.

She noticed that Isolina was often staring at her. Sometimes, she would even get up to be closer to Asami, taking a few hesitant steps around the young woman's desk as if she felt less alone by doing so.

Asami would then notice her moving, and, raising her head, she would softy smile at her. Then, the young girl would go back, happy, to her own desk.

* * *

With all the work the CEO had to do to be left alone with Isolina, the day ended very fast. She got out of her office with Isolina, and her assistant, who noticed her, said:

"Already heading home? That's unusual of you, Miss Sato."

"Well, I have to stop by the police station and get some stuff for the girl, so I don't really have a choice," she justified. "But I promise I'll catch up later."

Her assistant chuckled.

"When are you going to understand that you're the boss and you owe nothing to your employees? We're not here to judge you, we know you have a life too. So, go before it's too late."

"See you tomorrow!" she said. "Oh! And thank you for the desk and the other things."

"You're welcome. Ask if you ever need something again."

"I will."

She then got out of the tower with Isolina and drove to the police station, where she asked for Lin again.

"Miss Sato, you're here again," she said as an introduction, as if it were an annoyance. "Something's wrong with the girl? You don't want to keep her anymore?"

"No, nothing like that. She's adorable. And she actually talks. That's why I'm here. Her name is Isolina and she's five. So, maybe we could try find her parents now?"

"I guess… Listen, it's not that I don't want to, but I have like thirty children who need to find their parents. So, what about constituting a file first and posters? Maybe her parents are looking for her and it would be easier if they find her, because we're kind of short on the staff right now."

"Oh… Yeah, I understand."

"I just need a photo of her, then I'll fill everything. You can do that in the room over there. But first of all, are you even sure her parents live in Republic City?"

"I didn't ask."

She looked at Isolina, who was looking at the two women with wide eyes.

"Isolina, sweetie, where do you parents live? Here, in Republic City? In another nation? Maybe in the Water Tribes… Your eyes are quite blue. But your skin is so pale…"

The girl only looked at her, dumfounded. Maybe with a map, then…

Asami found a map and asked Isolina to point out where her parents lived. She looked clueless. Okay… Maybe not a map either. Did she not know where she had been living before being separated from her parents?

Then, Asami got another idea.

"Isolina, what kind of animals was there where you lived?"

If she had lived in the Water Tribes, then she would talk about otter-penguins, polar-bear-dogs or something like that. The fauna in the other nations was a bit more alike, but each of them had their particularities.

"There was no animal," she answered with her little voice.

Surprised passed on Asami's face. No animal? How was that even possible? She then thought of another question:

"What was the weather like? Was it cold? hot?"

"I'm not sure… I didn't go much outside. My parents were afraid..."

"Afraid? Afraid of what?"

The girl looked at her feet, shutting herself out. She wouldn't talk anymore. It looked like she didn't like talking about her parents. Maybe it was too painful, and Asami could understand that.

"That's the most I can get," she announced to Lin.

The older woman sighed.

"Then, go take that picture."

That was what they did. They then got out, thanking Lin who grunted to have one more case on her hands.

The next thing they did was going shopping. Asami bought Isolina some clothes to wear—which fitted her perfectly this time—, as well as some toys so that she could play. It took them one hour and half.

Then, they went back to the mansion. It was almost seven in the afternoon, and Asami got a little surprised when she saw that Korra wasn't home yet. They tried to both be there at 6:30 p.m. It was a rule between them in order to be sure to see each other. They sometimes broke the rule, but they usually let the other know.

However, Korra didn't say anything, so it worried Asami a little. But then, she thought of all the times it happened in the past, when they were not even married, and it eased her a little. Korra must have forgotten, with Isolina showing up the day before. Or something important had gotten in the way.

Asami brushed those thoughts away. She had to take care of the girl. It was out of the question that she stayed as late as the night before!

So, Asami made her eat. Isolina asked why she wasn't eating with her, and she answered that she was waiting for Korra. Isolina asked why she wasn't home yet, and Asami had no answer.

She then made her prepare to go to bed. It turned out that the little girl was scared to be alone in her room, so Asami stayed with her for a bit.

She told her a little story, like her own mother had done with her when she was a child, and caressed the girl's hair. She was supposed to stay until she fell asleep. However, she stayed a bit longer, watching Isolina's sleeping, little, cute face. Eventually, she fell asleep beside her, while admiring the sleeping child.

* * *

Korra got back almost in the middle of the night. She didn't make any noise, wondering if Asami was asleep.

The young green-eyed woman hardly slept when she was worried, and Korra had no doubt she had been because of her unexpected absence.

She noticed two plates set up on the table and assumed Asami had been waiting for her. Then, why hadn't she come meet her when she had gotten back? And why was the house all silent? She went to their bedroom, and Asami was not here. It worried her a little and she chose to go through all the room in the mansion.

She entered the room Isolina was staying in, not quite remembering she was there. She got pretty surprised when she found Asami, asleep, beside the little girl.

She grinned at them. What a beautiful and moving sight. There were cute. Well, maybe she should go to sleep too and not wake them up. She'd meet Asami in the morning anyway.

She only covered the green-eyed woman with a light blanket to be sure she wouldn't be cold, kissed her pale forehead and went to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a review! I really appreciate them :)**

 **Just a thing, I left the "Miss Sato", even if it's not correct, on purpose, because... I can't imagine it another way xD So, yeah, sorry about that. And sorry for any other mistake that I made.**

 **See you!**

 **Lion**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello!**

 **Here is the forth chapter! So, there is a conversation between Korra and Asami, and an important decision for the next chapters. I hope you won't get bored x)**

 **As always, mistakes are mine, and I'm sorry about them. (I try hard, though!)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

When Asami woke up, she was surprised not to be in her bed with her wife as she usually was. Instead of that, she saw the sleeping face of a little girl. She must have fallen asleep when she wasn't paying attention.

She slowly remembered how she ended up falling asleep there, but what she didn't remember was having a blanket over her.

She wondered for a few seconds how it had gotten there, and she then thought that Korra might have put it on her. Which would be good news because she would be back home and not hurt somewhere, bleeding and dying…

Asami shook her head. She really should stop thinking this way. But she couldn't help feeling worried for the young Avatar.

So, she felt the need to get up and find her, leaving Isolina alone.

Their bedroom was certainly her better option: Korra was not known for liking early mornings. So, she headed that way, closing calmly the door when she left Isolina's bedroom.

However, she never reached her destination. She barely turned around that she got seized with two strong arms, a light scream escaping her mouth.

But then, she felt a body against her back and a nose against her neck, which could only be Korra's.

"You scared me," she said as if she wanted to scold her but being too soft and sweet for that.

"Yeah, I heard that," Korra giggled.

Asami rolled her eyes before turning to face her, putting her arms around her neck.

"You came back late last night. I was worried."

"I'm sorry. Something came up. I tried to escape, but it sounds like responsibilities beat me."

Asami smiled. She then kissed her wife, relieved.

"I'm just happy nothing happened to you."

Korra kissed her again. After a few seconds they parted.

"Want to eat something?" the blue-eyed Avatar asked. "I hardly had the time to eat something and I think you waited for me yesterday."

The green-eyed woman nodded.

"I'm actually starving. What time is it?"

"Only five."

"And you're awake?" Asami smirked, astonished.

"Well, you weren't in bed with me. It was really weird. I think I'm too used to having you sleeping with me."

The other woman only hummed lightly and they walked to the kitchen hand in hand.

While they were preparing food for breakfast, the CEO asked, a bit concerned:

"Shouldn't we wait for Isolina? The poor girl's going to eat alone."

"Well, you said you're starving and I am too... I don't know about you but I don't really want to wait. We'll stay with her when she'll have breakfast. I sure it won't bother. I mean, it's not like she really wants to be with us..."

"I think she does," Asami answered, thoughtful. "She's still shy, that's all."

Korra shrugged. After all, she didn't know the girl as well as Asami did. She spent the whole day with her and she rescued her.

They started eating in a comfortable silence.

"Thinking about it, how was work with her?" Korra asked, curious, while eating her breakfast.

"It was..." Asami started, thinking about it made a small smile capture her lips, "refreshing."

"Refreshing?" Korra raised her eyebrow. "How so?"

"It's just, you know, new. I'm usually alone in my office and meetings are with some grumpy, old guys, so it was nice having her there. She actually got me distracted with her sweetness."

Asami was grinning really hard while saying that, and Korra stared at her with curious and amused eyes. She felt a little smile climbing onto her own lips.

"I'm glad you're having fun," she said softy.

"Yeah... She's a lot of fun. I think I'm going to miss her when she leaves. Even if it will only be her staying for a few days."

A veil of sadness landed on the green-eyes, and even if a soft smile remained on the pale-skinned face, there was no doubt that the anticipation of the separation with Isolina caused her a painful apprehension.

Korra stared at her with her beautiful, blue eyes. She stared at this troubled and sad expression she wasn't excepting to see on her lover's face.

She thought about how worried she was for the child, how much she cared for her, how softness was radiating from her whenever the young girl was around, how hard she was willing to try even if it was only for a few days.

She remembered last night, when she found them both asleep, and the serenity in which the place was thrown.

She remembered Asami's expression, from this moment when she had seen her frozen, asleep, a small smile curling the corners of her lips, her hand still intertwined with the girl's black hair, her head turned toward her as if she was watching her while sleeping. She could easily imagine seeing this hundreds of times.

Korra stared at her wife, and suddenly noticed how having a child around could change her. Noting this, she told herself she never thought about it. She never thought about how their couple would be if they were to raise a child. But did Asami want a child? She was maybe very caring to Isolina, but that was only temporary. Yet, this temporary state seemed to hurt her quite a bit.

"Did you want children?" Korra asked.

The question was asked out of the blue for Asami, and she needed to blink a few times to be sure she understood right. Immediately, she went on the defensive.

"Why are you asking me that?" Asami retorted.

"I don't know. You sound happy with her, so I thought that was maybe what you wanted. We never really talked about it."

"There is not much to talk about," Asami shrugged nonchalantly, throwing a piece of bread into her mouth.

"Then why don't you start by answering my question?"

"I did," she answered a bit shortly. "When I was younger. But it's not a good idea anymore."

"Why that?"

"Korra, don't be silly."

"I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

Korra was lost. She didn't understand why Asami was acting so distant.

They could have kept going with their "yes, you are" and "no, I am not", but that wasn't going to lead them anywhere. So, she rather tried to understand her wife:

"Then, why am I?"

"Because the situation being what it is, we can't have a child home," she answered simply. "Well, except for a few days, apparently."

"What situation are you talking about? We're a great couple! We totally could raise a child!"

"Yeah, sure. It's not as if you were the Avatar and I were a CEO. We're not busy at all!"

"Wait, that's your excuse?" Korra said, blinking.

"Of course it is!"

"You're the one being silly," the blue-eyes woman calmly answered, drinking a bit of water.

"I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

Asami simply rolled her eyes.

"We're not starting this again," she said, finishing her breakfast and taking her things to go away.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere!" Korra continued, grasping her arm.

"Korra, it's too early to have that conversation," she answered, without facing her, as if she were suddenly downcast and without any energy left. "Plus, I don't want to."

"You're the early bird here. So, I'm the one who should be protesting. And I do want to have that conversation with you. We're married and we've never had it!"

"Because there is nothing to say."

"Why would you give up on something which could make you happy?"

"Because it's for the best, Korra. I love you, I really do. And I think that raising a family with you would be something amazing. But we both know that we're not always home, sometimes we barely see each other! How would that be for children?"

"We can change that! We have the right to have a personal life too."

"No, we can't. Look at Aang! Remember how Bumi, Kya and Tenzin felt, even years after?"

"It's not because one Avatar was not the best of parents that we all are..." Korra explained, a bit bitterly.

"I'm..."

Asami stopped and winced. She didn't want to upset Korra. It was not the purpose at all! Why were they talking about that really? Asami had made up her mind years ago. Couldn't Korra see that this was hopeless?

She only sighed, pulling Korra into a hug.

"I'm sorry, honey. It's not what I meant. I'm sure you would be a great mother."

The blue-eyed woman pulled away to look her wife in the eyes.

"Then why are you so stubborn about pushing all our chances away?"

"I'm not," she denied, though she knew it was what she was doing.

Korra gave her a skeptical look.

"I am not!" she repeated to be more convincing. "I'm just... Korra, that's complicated."

"Explain it to me then. I know that I don't have your brain, but I can understand some things."

"Your brain is just fine the way it is."

Korra just stared at her with a look that said: "you're not changing the conversation." So, Asami sighed. She sat in a chair and tried to explain her point of view:

"Remember when we started dating?"

"Yes. One of the most amazing things that happened to me, why?"

"Our relationship is one of the things I cherish the most in the world. You're the most important person to me, and nothing can change that. But Korra, how many times did we almost lose each other? I almost lost you with Zaheer. You almost lost me when I was abducted to put pressure on you. We live dangerous lives, Korra. And you're strong, you're powerful, and I can handle myself, but... a child would be defenseless. Even if we are less busy and can take care of them, it's still not a normal life, because no one knows what could happen, when new crazy people are going to erupt in our house. Do you really want to live with this kind of culpability if something would ever happen?"

"Why would something happen? We could also live a happy life without any problem. We would protect them."

"You're too optimistic," Asami said, shaking her head with a shuddering breath.

"And you're too pessimistic," Korra said before taking the green-eyed woman's pale hand and squeezing it once. "We always find a way through. Always. Why would it be different this time?"

"I don't know, Korra. I just don't want to put anyone life in danger, and I'm not even sure we could handle raising a child. I know you're willing, but still..."

The Avatar opened her mouth to respond, but Asami just cut the conversation off:

"Anyway, let's take care of Isolina for now. We can discuss again that when she gets back to her parents."

She didn't intend to, though. Korra sighed, letting Asami's hand go, because she knew she would not get anything out of her now.

"I'm not giving up, you know. I just want you to be happy."

The green eyes softened a little, looking at the beautiful and caring Avatar. Asami reached for the dark-skinned face, brushing her thumb against her cheek before placing one strand of brown hair affectionately being her ear.

"I'm happy with you, and that's enough," she said with a little smile.

Part of that was true, Korra knew it. But she still thought that it could be different, another kind of happiness could fill their life. However, she shut this little voice inside of her up for now, because she knew it wasn't time anymore.

"I love you," she answered quietly.

And Asami grinned.

Yes, that was enough for now, their happiness. Even if the arrival of Isolina would certainly change that, and that was why Korra was so eager to bring up this conversation.

But the two women decided not to think about it anymore, and they just kissed lovingly.

* * *

Eventually, the CEO was ready to go to work a bit before 6 in the morning. And she would have gone if she didn't have to take care of Isolina. So, she thought she'd just wait. But waiting was long.

Korra on the other hand decided that it was too soon to do anything besides sleeping. And since she knew she needed Asami to sleep (or at least, she preferred when she was there), she just made the CEO go to their room until they were in their bed. Then, the blue-eyed woman cuddled in her wife's arms.

They eventually both fell asleep for another hour or so.

When they got up again, Asami went to wake Isolina up. She gently brushed her shoulder. The girl simply opened her eyes and smiled at her, making Asami melt. She managed a smile of her own and took her to the kitchen, where she served her and just watched her eating.

Korra joined them a few minutes later, because she hadn't wanted to leave the warmth of the bed, smiling when she saw Asami looking at Isolina with loving eyes.

Yeah, she definitely would love to see her like that more often. Not that Asami didn't look at her with loving eyes, but the scenery with Isolina was just cute.

The little girl certainly didn't even notice the effect she had on Asami, but Korra just felt her being happier.

However, the breakfast was silent. Isolina was still not really comfortable and was looking only at her plate.

At least, she now felt free to deliver some short sentences, like "yes", "no", "thank you", while she would barely nod when she had first gotten there.

When the little girl finished, Asami told her to go do what she needed before leaving and cleared the table.

When all of that was finished, Korra just pulled Asami into a light embrace, kissing her and saying that she was going to go. She wished her a good day, that she returned, and went to the garden to call Naga.

A few minutes later, the Avatar had left and Isolina met Asami.

"You ready?" the young woman asked.

Isolina nodded. But the CEO saw her distracted look and wondered what she was thinking.

"Is there something wrong?" she worried a little.

"What was that big animal Korra rides on?" the little girl asked, with her curious, high ton of voice.

"Oh, you mean Naga? It's a polar-bear-dog. She's Korra's best friend."

"You mean her best friend is an animal?"

"Yeah... Well, she has me as her best human friend."

"You're friends now?"

"We've always been. At least, most of the time," she added, thinking of the beginning of their friendship. "You know, it's not because she's my wife than we can't be friends too. She was my best friend before that, and she always is."

"I've never thought like that... Do you think my parents were friends too?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. But I'm sure they love each other a lot. And that they love you just as much."

The young girl shrugged as if she didn't care. But her eyes were filled with sadness, and Asami didn't understand what she did wrong. Maybe she should be more careful about what she said. Her parents certainly were a difficult topic.

However, she didn't discuss the matter further, and they got to work. Well, actually work with distraction for Asami, and distraction with amusement for Isolina. The latter had still her little desk and her things, and was eager to go back to what she had been doing the day before.

Asami though wondered if they could continue that way for long. But then she remembered that she only had Isolina for a few days. What if it lasted longer? What should she do with her?

This morning, Asami got through all her responsibilities wondering if she could take some days off. She really wanted to take care of Isolina, maybe searching for her parents a bit more. And she couldn't do that from work. Not really. And in a really selfish purpose, she just wanted to enjoy the little girl's presence while she could.

It was with this idea in mind that she got out of her office, telling Isolina to stay in it, to talk to her assistant.

"Hey," she said to interrupt him.

"Yes, Miss Sato?"

"I just wondered if you would feel alright if I took some days off. I know that's a lot more pressure on you, it's just that with Isolina home..."

"Don't say anything else! Of course, I would really happy to take care of the business here! Especially if you start taking care of yourself."

"I am already taking care of myself. It's just for the girl. I'm not sure that's the right place for her."

"Taking care of her makes you happy. So, it makes me happy to take care of the work when you're not here!"

"Ok... Thanks then."

She got back in her office. Actually, she thought it would be a little more complicated. But then, she felt she was just being silly. Her assistant had already told her so many times to stop working that much and to take a few days off. So, of course, he would be more than willing to help.

She simply shook her head with a little sigh. Isolina saw that and asked with curious eyes:

"Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all," Asami smiled gently. "How about we spend some time together for the next few days? I assumed that you would rather not be at work with me, so I won't go to work for a few days. Does that make you happy?"

"Yes, very much so. But isn't it going to be a problem? I don't want to bother you..."

"Oh no, sweetie, don't worry. I just want to do whatever I can to make you comfortable for the time you spend with Korra and me."

"Then, I'm happy."

"Great. So, just this day, and then we'll do... whatever you want."

The girl nodded and went back to her drawing. She didn't sound nor look really thrilled. However, Asami believed her when she had said she was happy. She sometimes just wasn't really expressive. But it was as if it weren't the only reason, as if there were something that was hovering over her. A shadow, sadness, a too-heavy past? Asami didn't know.

Maybe she could learn more about her in the next few days. Maybe she could find her parents.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! How about leaving a review? They make my day, and motivate me!**

 **See you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi!**

 **Sorry, I'm posting a bit late. So, this chapter was actually one that I split into two, because it was starting to get long.**

 **Also, I only reread it once, so it might have more mistakes than usual. I'll try to go through it somewhere along the week, when I'll have some time. (But since I'm trying to be punctual, I can't really do it right now ;))**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

When Asami told Korra she took a few days off, the Avatar got quite surprised. It was both stunning and frustrating. At least, she was happy that Asami and Isolina would be able to spend some time together. However, she was a bit sad not to be able to be part of this special time.

That was why she tried, as much as she could, to get home early for the next few days.

Asami let Isolina sleep in the morning, and it looked like the girl needed it. Since the young woman was up before her, she worked a little bit and took care of the mansion.

When the little girl woke up, they would breakfast together quietly.

Asami sometimes asked what Isolina wanted to do for the day and she never got a precise answer, because the little girl didn't have any idea of what to do.

So, the first day, Asami decided to make her visit the city. She actually wanted to know if she recognized anything. However, from the curious and admiring look on Isolina's face, she easily assumed that Republic City was perfectly unknown to her. Maybe her parents didn't even live here... But how did she end up in the triad's territory?

The young CEO had still so many questions about this girl, but she was just too afraid of asking her about them. What if she were not ready to answer? It could blow away all her chances of getting answers someday, of solving her mystery, of getting her back on the way of her life.

Asami just sighed. It was not going to be easy. She had to find her story bit by bit, like a hazardous investigation, a puzzle with the pieces spread throughout the four Nations.

At lunch, they grabbed something in the street. After that, Asami continued to go through Republic City, until the little girl started to be tired. Then, she decided to get back to the mansion.

Isolina went to bed to take a nap; Asami sometimes forgot she was only five.

Less than thirty minutes later, while Isolina was still sleeping, Korra came back.

"I wasn't expecting you to get back this early," Asami said while walking to her wife.

"You're taking a few days off, so I may as well try to get back earlier. Is that a problem?" she asked, before kissing her lightly.

"Not at all," Asami smiled.

"Where is Isolina? You got rid of her and needed a few days to bury her body somewhere no one could find it?"

The CEO chuckled.

"No, she's just taking a nap. I sometimes forget that she gets tired faster than a grown-up."

"What did you do today?"

"Basically, visiting Republic City. And she's _really_ not from here. I wonder what's happened to her..."

"Why don't you ask her?"

"I don't want to scare her away! She has that sad face whenever she talks about her past... Do you think I should try harder?"

"Start by easy things. I'm sure that she will answer if you use your motherly tone."

"What motherly tone? I don't have a motherly tone!"

Korra chucked.

"You have. It's the one you use with children only. You just become so soft, it's almost unbelievable."

"Right..." Asami groaned.

"You're frustrated because you're good with children? I've known worse!" Korra sarcastically laughed.

"I'm frustrated because I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work," the green-eyed woman got defensive.

"I'm not trying to do anything. Just saying the truth."

She then cupped the CEO's cheeks, luring her so that she looked her in the eyes.

"If someone can get the girl to talk, it's you."

Their forehead met and both women breathed deeply, closing their eyes.

"You're so sure about that, and I just don't know how to handle it," the green-eyed woman almost whispered.

"You'll figure something out."

"Why don't you try?"

"She doesn't know me. I'm just some stranger living in the same house to her. But she trusts you."

"You should try to bond with her more."

"What's the point? She's only here until we find her parents."

"Yes, but... it may be good for her?" she justified with a sad and hesitant voice.

"Are you sure it's the true reason?"

"Mmm…"

"Asami…" the blue-eyed woman scolded, groaning.

The green-eyed woman unveiled her green emeralds to see two blue pearls, which were trying to piece her with a fierce determination.

"What?" she questioned.

"Wouldn't it be because you imagine that if I get well along with her, she could stay, and I would accept her too."

"What? No! Of course not!"

She closed her eyes again, sighed, melting further into the embrace.

"… It would be stupid," she started again quietly, but she knew that her heart told her otherwise.

She knew that Korra was right, but she preferred denying it. Of course, the blue-eyed Avatar was not fooled by it. She held the CEO close in her arms, like an unrequired—but necessary—comfort.

"I only want her to be happy," she added. "And she will be once we find her parents. I just have not to get attached by then."

"I think it's too late for that, my love."

"I know. Maybe you're right... Maybe we need to have that talk about children."

"I'm certain of it. Whenever you're ready, okay? But for now, why don't you just take care of that little girl to see how you handle it?"

"Okay... I'm going to see her."

"Good luck," Korra said with a peck on her lips.

Asami smiled and went to Isolina's room.

She carefully opened the door to see the young girl still asleep. She hesitated before entering, pursing her lips.

She wanted to try to question the girl. Maybe it was too soon. However, she didn't want to wake her up. But she thought that Isolina might not sleep very well during the night if she slept too much during her nap. So, maybe it wouldn't be that bad to wake her up.

She got closer to the bed, sitting lightly on the side. She just watched the peaceful, sleeping body. She wanted to stop the time, let herself being softened and warmed up by this light and calm atmosphere.

She couldn't interrupt that. She could not interrupt the perfect sleep of this beautiful child.

She wished Isolina always looked at peace and not battling with some troubling past.

She wished she had never met her erring, completely lost, disoriented and depressed.

She wished she had never been separated from her parents.

She wished she had remained in this world full of pure and fragile innocence, where happiness reigned.

The young woman couldn't help herself but run a shy hand through the girl's black hair. She didn't think it might wake her up. Actually, she didn't think at all, too caught into the moment.

However, the girl started moving a little, before opening her stunning blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," Asami apologized with all the softness in the world, continuing caressing her hair. "Did I wake you up?"

"It's okay," the girl smiled.

The young woman gave her a smile of her own. Nothing happened for a few seconds, while Isolina was enjoying the light touch. Then, she got up on her tiny limbs and went to Asami in order to hug her.

The CEO was starting to get used to these. So, she held her close and tight.

She liked it. She liked how she was important for Isolina, how the girl would willingly come to her to seek for a comforting embrace.

When they parted, they simply smiled to each other. They didn't really need words, as if affection was enough.

Then, Asami remembered what she came here for. But she didn't want to. She didn't want to make Isolina remember when she knew she wasn't thinking about it right now; that she was fine.

But hesitation must have appeared on her face, because Isolina furrowed her brow, asking:

"Something wrong?"

Asami broke out of her thoughts, noticing Isolina's worried face. She smiled then, brushing her cheek with one hand.

"No everything is fine, sweetie," she assured her. "Leave me some room on your bed?"

The girl nodded and moved a little in order for Asami to settle beside her.

"Do you want to tell me a bit about you?"

"What do you want to know?" the girl reluctantly asked, lowering her head.

"Only what you're willing to tell me."

She put her hand underneath the girl's chin, making her face her.

"Listen, I don't want you to tell me things that make you uncomfortable. I understand that you certainly went through a lot, and it's okay if you're not ready. I just want to know more about you. Do you think it's okay?"

The girl nodded. When Asami let go her head, she didn't lower it right away, but it eventually happened. An uncomfortable silence engulfed them. The young woman understood that if she wanted to learn anything she'd have to ask.

"Come," she demanded.

She took the little girl in her lap, playing with her hair for a few seconds. She sensed her relaxing a little.

"So… what are your parents' names?" she began asking, thinking it would be the easiest.

"Why do you need to know?"

That question again...

"It will help me find them," she answered with honesty

"You'll never find them," Isolina answered somberly.

Why? Asami wanted to ask. But she prevented herself from doing so. One question at a time, she remained herself.

"I want to try," she said.

The girl nodded.

"Daisuke for my father. Hae for my mother."

"Ok..."

Asami didn't really know what to ask. Which subject was sensitive to her? Which one was not? Then, she thought she had to make sure of something before trying to find the girl's parents.

"Isolina, sweetie, were you happy with your parents?" she asked, suddenly aware of the girl non-eagerness to find them.

"Most of the time."

"What was wrong?"

"I couldn't get out of the house."

"Why?"

"They said it was dangerous."

"Well, they are right. The world is a dangerous place for a little girl. But still... you have to see other people. Do you have any friends?"

"I've never met someone my age."

At that, Asami was completely astonished. What kind of life had she lived before? Why did she have the feeling that that life was completely disconnected from any kind of normality?

"What... what do you mean? Have you ever met someone beside your parents?"

"No."

That was weird. Maybe too weird. So, in brief, this little girl had lived somewhere in the middle of nowhere and without anyone beside two now-missing parents.

"They were right," Isolina added, with an emotionless tone.

"About what?"

"I was safe in the house. People outside are mean."

The green-eyed woman knew that the little girl was referring to her time being alone and, if Asami had to guess, under the orders of heartless adults.

"Not all people are," Asami said.

"I know," she admitted, turning around. "You're not."

The young adult smiled.

"No, I'm not. And I won't ever do anything to hurt you, I promise."

She cupped Isolina's cheek, seeing her two light blue eyes lit up and a wide grin plastered on her face.

"I love you," the girl let out, the words not sounding quite innocent and childish like she certainly meant, but rather heavy and serious in Asami's ears.

However, she only hugged the young child before answering:

"Oh, I love you too, sweetie."

"Then, why do you want to find my parents?" she asked, looking a bit confused as she looked at Asami's face.

Actually, the young woman didn't understand the question, or why it had been asked.

The more she talked with Isolina, the more she thought something was off about her parents. She didn't know what it was, but the girl was acting really weird about it.

"Because you would be happy with them, wouldn't you?" she simply answered, hoping that the answer would be good enough.

Also because she needed her to be out of her life the fastest possible, in order not to be inconsolable when she left, in order not to reanimate a desire which she had abandoned long ago. But she could definitely not say that.

Isolina nodded, emotionless.

"I understand," she said, as if they were discussing a matter of life or death.

"Isolina," Asami started, frowning, "are you... Is there something _really_ important you're hiding from me?"

The girl turned around, sitting again on Asami's lap.

"Can you braid my hair?" she commanded, going off the topic.

Well, that was unexpected...

At least, Asami learnt something: there really was something the girl didn't want to talk about, something important she was not ready to let go for now.

So, since she knew she wouldn't get anything else from her for now, she only answered the question.

"You'd like that?" she asked, going through the back hair.

"I'd love so."

"Well, then, I can braid your hair. You have beautiful hair, you know."

"My mother had the same."

"Really? Well, then you're really lucky to have inherited her, especially with your eyes."

"That's more from my dad's side."

"I guess, you picked only the good things from both sides to be the beautiful little girl you are."

"Thanks."

They then fell into a nice silence. Asami braided Isolina's hair, delicately, leaving them purposely loose not to hurt the girl by pulling her hair too hard.

It made her think of her long-dead mother and how she would do the exact same thing. It was so long ago... And she never thought she would have the opportunity of doing that, that she would braid anyone's hair beside Korra's, that she would braid a young girl's hair as if she were her daughter.

By the time she finished, she had a stern look on her face. When Isolina faced her to thank her, she noticed it and got a little confused.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Nothing is wrong, sweetie."

"You look like something is wrong. Did I do something? It's because I didn't answer your question, right?"

"No, it's not you, sweetie. It's not you, I swear."

"What is it?"

"It's... It's my mother. She died when I was really young, and sometimes she would braid my hair the way I just did. You made me think of her that's all."

"Are you sad?"

"To be honest, yes, I'm kind of sad. But it was a long time ago."

The girl nodded.

"Do you want a hug? I know I'd like one."

Asami chucked a little bit.

"Yes, I do want a hug if you're giving it to me."

The young girl didn't even have a second thought and put her little hands around Asami's neck. The young adult only put a hand on her back, sighing.

"I wish you never got separated from your parents."

"Me too... But I'm happy with you now."

"You are?" Asami asked, between a striking surprise and a funny satisfaction in the inside.

"I am."

"Well, I'm happy too then."

They enjoyed each other's presence for a little while longer. Then, Asami and Isolina went downstairs.

The young CEO said she had some phone calls to make, and brought Isolina to Korra, who was playing with Naga. The girl stared at the giant, white animal, a bit afraid of it.

"Could you take care of her for a moment? I have to make some phone calls. It won't be long."

"Sure," the Avatar answered.

"Is it okay with you, Isolina?"

The girl only stared at the white-furred animal with wide eyes and her body completely paralyzed with fear. Seeing her awe, Asami kneeled down.

"Hey, look at me," Asami ordered.

The girl obliged.

"It's only Naga. She's really sweet and she only bites really mean people when they try to hurt us. She has never hurt anybody else, and she's not going to hurt you. Okay?"

The girl nodded, still a bit unsure. Asami put a strand of black hair behind the girl's ear, kissing her on her forehead.

"Nothing will ever happen to you under my care or Korra's, understood?"

To answer, the girl gave a quick hug to Asami who grinned brightly.

"I think you should introduce Naga, honey," she said standing up and meeting Korra. "Go easy on her."

"Don't worry," the Avatar answered.

Asami gave her a stern look, to make sure she was taking her warnings seriously. Korra only chuckled, and kissed Asami on the nose.

"Yes, I'll take care of her, as if my life depended on it. Which is probably the case, because you would kill me if anything happened to her," she stated with a smirk.

Asami rolled her eyes, and pinched Korra's biceps, earning an "ouch!" from her. The green-eyed woman sadistically smiled.

"Have fun," she answered, waving, before going away.

"So..." Korra started, rubbing her arm where Asami pinched her. She looked at Naga, —who was sitting with her tongue hanging out, —and Isolina, —who had a curious but scared look on her face, —before putting her hands on her hips. "Naga, this is Isolina, and she's going to stay with us a little bit," Korra introduced. "Isolina, this is Naga, my best animal friend."

"Okay..." the little girl shyly said.

"Naga, say hello."

The giant animal approached Isolina, who couldn't help but back up. She tripped and fell, putting her hand in front of her face to protect herself. She closed her eyes, too afraid to see what the polar-bear-dog was going to do.

She trusted Asami but _still_ ; that thing was enormous!

She only sensed the big animal's nose sniffing her hand, and a big, wet thing running through her hand and part of her arm.

When she opened her eyes again, she only saw that Naga was actually licking her hand. She barked lightly, and Isolina looked at the animal's eyes; they were only soft and friendly. Isolina smiled, understanding that Naga was only a giant, fluffy pet.

The polar-bear-dog nuzzled her and Isolina laughed. She used the big, white head to get up. When it was done, Naga rolled over on her back, asking for her to pet her.

The little girl ran hesitantly her tiny hands through the white fur, still not really sure how the animal would react.

"She likes you," Korra said, coming close and starting to pet Naga too. "Have you ever had a pet before?"

The girl shook her head. No, her parents hadn't had allowed any pet.

"Well, then consider that Naga is your first animal friend!"

Naga was actually really excited to meet the young girl. She got back on her legs, and started jumping a bit around her, rubbing her giant body against hers, in an improvised hug. Isolina smiled and chuckled.

Suddenly, Korra was on Naga and the girl stared at the two of them.

"Want a ride?" the Avatar asked.

Not really sure, the girl shook her head.

"You know, Asami is not going to mind. Actually, I think she would be happy if we spend some time together. We're not going far. The yard is big enough. Come on."

"I can't come up there. I'm not tall enough."

"Ah right. But I can help you."

She extended her hands for Isolina to take. Even if dubiety was written all over the young girl face, she took her hands. Korra just pulled her toward herself, moving lightly to make her land softy thanks to her airbending.

The girl was surprised by how slowly and delicately she landed on the animal, soon protected by Korra's arms around her.

"You okay?" the blue-eyed Avatar asked.

The girl nodded.

"It was airbending, right?"

"Yep! Let's go, Naga. Easy, girl."

The polar-bear-dog obliged, even if she would rather run through the yard.

Korra kept a hand on Isolina's stomach to make sure the girl wouldn't fall. The latter didn't mind, looking at the scenery from her high spot.

"Do you like it?" Korra asked.

The girl vigorously nodded, her wide, blue eyes wandering around as if everything were bright new and extraordinarily.

"Wanna go faster?"

"I don't know. Is it scary?"

"No, it's fun. Don't worry, I'm holding onto you."

The girl seriously nodded, allowing Korra to go faster. The Avatar brightly grinned.

"Okay, Naga, you can go. Go, girl, go!"

The polar-bear-dog did as it was ordered, her tongue hanging out and going faster and faster.

Even if Isolina was a bit afraid at first, she was also really amazed by the experience. The fact that Korra held her tighter, to make sure she was safe, eased her a little and she just relaxed.

After a few seconds, she was grinning harder than she ever had, enjoying the ride. Korra smiled too, seeing the little girl's bright face.

She understood now why Asami liked the girl so much; Korra enjoyed her presence as well. Playing with her, bringing her a smile, a laugh, a moment of joy, was an unrivaled feeling.

As the Avatar, she was used to saving people, to them being more roles grateful, but Isolina, this young child, was something else. It was something different, but she liked it.

And it was not hard to imagine that things could always remain this way.

* * *

"Lin Beifong."

"Hi, Lin, it's Asami."

"Miss Sato. Why are you calling? Is there a problem?"

"I just... I wanted to know if you had any news from Isolina's parents."

"No. Nothing. No one called for the girl."

Asami sighed. She was hoping that this was going to end fast. Apparently not.

"Okay... Well, I have some more information," she continued.

"I'm listening."

"Her parents' names are Dasuke and Hae. Her mother has black hair and her father is certainly for the Water Tribes, judging from his eyes' color. They lived in a really secluded place. And that's pretty all I know."

"Okay, it's noted."

"Do you think you can find them soon?"

"Do you want to get rid of the girl or what?"

"No, it's not that..."

"You decided that finally you don't like her?"

"No, it's wrong! I like her! But I... I... have a business to run."

"Right. You should improve at lying, Miss Sato. I can even know you're doing it without seeing you. Anyway, I do have work, so I'm not going to try to make you say what you obviously don't want to say. Bye."

And she hung up.

"Bye," Asami sighed, even if she knew that the older woman didn't hear her.

She tried not to think, making her second phone call.

"Hi, Lu, it's Asami," she said, once she got an answer after a few ringtones.

"Hi, Miss the CEO! How are you? Everything's fine on your little holidays?"

"Yeah, yeah. How is everything at work?"

"Perfectly fine, boss."

"You're not lying to me, right? To make me comfortable, right?"

"Of course not! I have to say, you did a great job. It's almost as if the company could run itself on its own. You really should take holidays more often!"

"Thanks, Lu. I love feeling welcomed and needed in my own company," she teased.

"Oh, come on! Don't take it this way!"

"I'm just saying. But it's great if everything is fine. You can call me whenever you need me, you know."

"Yes, I know. Now, stop talking about business and go enjoying yourself! See ya!"

"Bye, Lu."

She hung up, hearing her assistant smiling and chuckling. She rolled her eyes. At least, this was fine. She could stay with Isolina without any problem. But how long is it going to last? How long before she went away from her, taking a part of her heart? The longer it would take, the bigger this part would be.

Asami sighed. Maybe she shouldn't care about that, and just enjoy the day, until she would eventually fall—definitely fall—from her little peaceful cloud.

She started going back to where she had left Isolina and Korra. On her way there, she heard laughters and, when they came in sight, she saw Isolina the happiest she had ever seen her, riding on Naga's back with Korra who was smiling and laughing along with her.

It looked like her wife was succumbing to the girl's charms too. The CEO smiled. If she didn't know what situation they were in, she could certainly think that they were a great family.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Did you like it? You can leave me a review to tell me! If not, see you in two weeks!**

 **Lion**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello, everyone!**

 **Here is a chapter a bit shorter than the others. Don't worry, the next ones are longer ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

In the evening, they ate and played a bit more, until it was time for Isolina to go to bed. The girl still didn't want to sleep alone, feeling a bit febrile in her new environment.

So, Asami stayed with her a little bit, telling her a story until she was sleepy. Only then, she thought it was time for her to go.

However, Isolina was not quite asleep and she suspected that the young woman was about to leave. If she left, it would reawaken inside of the girl a feeling of insecurity, which would push her into waking up, without a chance of falling back to sleep, after a few minutes, or, at the most, a few hours.

At this moment, Korra decided to enter the room with Naga.

"What are you doing?" Asami asked, quite confused.

Years ago, Korra and she had decided that Naga was better outside, at least when the weather was nice enough.

The thing is Naga could be a little uncomfortable in little, closed spaces. And when she was inside, she would come to Korra to sleep, and the room was not that big with a polar-bear-dog in it. Plus, they kind of didn't like to be stared at when they did some... adult things. They really didn't like that.

So, it was a surprise to see Naga inside, and, more so, in Isolina's room.

Korra ignored Asami, judging unnecessary to answer. She only went to Isolina.

"Hey. Are you still afraid of Naga?" the Avatar asked.

Asami looked at her with a skeptical look saying: "do we really need to have that conversation right now?" It was time to sleep, for Isolina at the least: what was the point of talking about Naga? They could do that the next day!

Nevertheless, the little girl responded, shaking her head.

"You trust her, right?" Korra continued.

The girl nodded.

"Cool! Because I thought that maybe you would like to have someone with you. And Naga will protect you while you're sleeping. Do you think that would make you more comfortable?"

The girl smiled with a grateful and enthusiastic smile.

"Thank you," she said. "I'd love to have Naga with me."

"You're welcome. That way you'll be our little puppy! Right, Naga?"

She turned to the polar-bear-dog, who agreed with a bark, and shook her tail. She had her tongue hanging and her eyes sparkling. Korra proudly smiled, when looking at her animal friend.

As for Asami, she was rather jaded.

"She's not a dog, Korra," the green-eyed woman sighed, putting a pale hand on her forehead.

Korra turned to her, tilting her head to the side.

"Well, you sometimes call me 'honey' and I'm not edible," the Avatar rationalized, ready to celebrate the victory of her logic against the CEO's (which was normally impossible to vanquish).

At this moment, a gleam of mischief lit up in the green eyes, a smile appearing on the pale-skinned face.

"That is, actually, rather debatable," Asami answered, mischievously.

Their little debate could have continued for a long time—Korra had even opened her mouth to respond—, if Isolina weren't staring at them with her childish curiosity, trying to understand the subtlety of what had just been said.

Korra saw the young, blue-eyed girl in the corner of her eyes, looking her up and down, as she was wondering whether an Avatar could be eaten or not. (She didn't know very much about Avatars.) The said Avatar only cleared her throat.

"Anyway," she simply answered.

Isolina simply stared at her. Naga chose this moment to settle down close to the little girl's bed, ready to fall asleep.

Korra thought it was time to go, in order for the young girl to sleep. She leant to kiss Isolina on her forehead, with a tenderness, which was a little brutal and clumsy.

"Good night, little puppy," she said, with frivolity. "See you tomorrow."

The girl smiled, following Korra with her eyes, while she was exiting the room. The blue-eyed woman stopped by Asami, leaning to talk in her ear:

"You'll get what's coming to you."

"Yeah, right," Asami teased, a bit mockingly.

"Oh, sure, I'm right."

She then left, not leaving her enough time to answer.

Asami shook her head, smiling. Korra was sometimes incorrigible.

She then went to kiss Isolina too, wishing her a good night, caressing a little more her hair until the girl closed her eyes under her touch. After that, she left, allowing a last caress to Naga, who was already loudly sleeping.

She closed the door behind her, leaving a little gap so that if Naga could go out, if she wanted to.

She then entered her own room, she closed the door, to notice that it was, at first sight, empty.

She frowned, opening her mouth to call Korra, but nothing came out of it as, suddenly, lips were glued against hers, a tongue pushing against hers.

Here she was...

The Avatar had pushed Asami against the wall, pinning her left hand to it but letting the other one running through her hair, pulling her closer.

"Told you," Korra said, once they parted, breathless. "You should have not said that in Isolina's room..."

She kissed her again, her hands going to Asami's hips to bring their bodies closer as if they were only one. The green-eyed woman had her arms around her neck, returning the kiss with ardor.

But then, the dark-skinned hands started to take off their clothes, and Asami withdrew.

"Wait," she warned. "We can't do that."

"What? Why?" Korra asked, surprised and a bit irritated.

"Isolina is barely asleep, she could hear us."

"Well, her parents certainly had sex too..."

"Yes... But I doubt she knows that."

Korra grunted out of frustration, defeated by the businesswoman's arguments.

"Plus, you know very well how Naga reacted the few times we had her inside," continued the CEO.

Indeed, it was true that the polar-bear-dog could bark and bay, she could even paw the door, whining. They had never managed to understand this extreme reaction from Naga, so they decided not to expose her anymore to this kind of things, even from afar. And even if they could generally remain discreet, the polar bear-dog always managed to know and to make a phenomenal commotion.

"She would definitely wake Isolina," the green-eyed woman resumed, "and she is going to wonder what's going on, maybe even panic a lot, and, eventually, come here."

"I guess you're right," Korra sighed. "But what if I really want you?"

The blue-eyed woman got closer to the pale face, intending to kiss her again.

"You'll have to be patient," Asami answered playfully with a peck on her lips.

"I hate being patient..." Korra grumbled, resigned.

Asami laughed at her scowl.

"I know, but it's only for a few days," she comforted.

"It was also only for a few days already three days ago..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That it might be longer than a few days... And I'm not renouncing on sleeping with you for weeks."

"It's not going to take weeks," Asami said ironically, with a soft and mischievous smirk, even if it was maybe a little drawn.

In a way, she couldn't help doubting her own words, and it made float a strange and hazardous apprehension in her; what if it lasted longer?

Nevertheless, she dispelled this fog of uncertainties from her thoughts: it wasn't going to last long, that was how it was.

As for Korra, she was not that convinced.

"That's what _you_ say," she muttered.

"So, basically, you're telling me that if she's still here in one week, you'll force me into bed anyway?" the green-eyed woman rephrased.

"Yes!" Korra responded, with an excessive enthusiasm. "And actually, less than a week: four days. Then, it'll be a week."

The CEO rolled her eyes, not believing such words were coming from her wife's mouth. You'd think that she was suffering from harsh withdrawal.

"Come on, it's not death!" Asami started again.

"It's the death of desire and pleasure," Korra said with a monotone voice.

"You're exaggerating."

"You're not going to tell me you won't get frustrated, right?"

"I... uh... I don't know!" she stumbled, suddenly at a loss of words to answer that question. "I'm just taking care of Isolina."

"Just for you to know: if we have children, I won't wait for them to be old enough to understand what parents do in their bed to do it with their mother. So, we better find a way the soonest possible."

"Right... But if we have children, we'll have time to think about that. Because Isolina is not staying long. I'll make sure of that."

"I'm afraid, it's not up to you, love."

"I'll find her parents."

"What if they don't want to be found? What if she doesn't want to find them? What happens then?"

"She can't stay with us anyway."

Asami untied herself from Korra, as if she was running away from this conversation. She started to change her clothes for the night.

"Why? You love her!"

"Sounds like you like her too…" Asami sighed. "Korra, if you're starting to get attached to her, it's only going to hurt you."

"Right... I handled not seeing you for three years, after being poisoned by a crazy man and losing myself; I think I can cope," she said with irony.

"I'd like to be able to say the same thing..." the green-eyed woman groaned.

Seeing this distant expression on her wife's face, as if she was momentarily living in another world where pain was reigning, Korra couldn't help feeling the need of reassuring her with a great softness.

"Hey," Korra called, gently.

She cupped the pale-skinned face, the green eyes, vulnerable and sad, looking right into her blue ones. Asami leant a bit at the contact, enjoying the touch of the brown skin against her own.

"It's okay to love," the Avatar continued.

The green-eyed woman chuckled quietly, amused by these words being both wise and silly.

"I know, silly you," she answered.

"Then, what's the problem with Isolina?" Korra continued, seriously.

"She's not mine, Korra. She'll never be."

"But... you don't know that."

"She has parents who love her and are waiting for her somewhere."

"You don't know what happened to Isolina. You don't know anything about her parents. They could be some psychopaths keeping her away from the world as far as I know. You don't even know if they were her true parents. The only thing that girl is asking for is love. She didn't ask you to find her parents."

"I can't lose anyone else," Asami said, suddenly burying her head into Korra's shoulder. "I just can't, Korra."

"You won't."

"If I let myself love her, she'll mean so much to me, Korra. She'll mean too much. I'll never be able to let her go."

"You can't push love away from you... It doesn't work that way."

"No, I know, but I can pretend. It's easier that way."

"Oh, Asami... But you already love her. You can't deny it. It won't work."

"I know!" Asami exclaimed, losing a bit her temper.

She walked away from Korra, letting herself fall on the bed. She stared at the ceiling, until Korra climbed upon her and entered her field of vision.

"You know, it wouldn't be that complicated if you had told me about it," Korra said.

"Told you about what?" Asami asked, frowning.

"Your really soft spot for children."

"You could have brought it up too."

"I don't really have that same soft spot. And the main reason, concerning the why I didn't do it, is that I have simply never thought about it. Do I have to remind you thanks to whom we're married?"

"No, I remember proposing, thank you very much."

"If you had told me, maybe you wouldn't have got attached to her that way. She wouldn't represent so much hope for you."

"She's no hope! She's... a cute, little, innocent and adorable heartbreaker…" Asami pouted, almost like a child.

"She's also the only child who entered your life and of whom you can take care. And you want her to stay. That's why you want me to get on with her, because you want to keep her, even if you're not conscious of it."

"Spirits, Korra! How many times do I have to tell you that's impossible? You know what? Let's forget about it. The sooner the girl is back to her family, the better it will be. Good night."

"Good night? It's not even 10!"

"I'm tired..."

Korra sighed.

"You just don't want to talk to me. But very well, good night."

Korra knew Asami was not really mad at her. She was just really lost in her feelings. And certainly very frustrated. Even with that, Korra didn't really agree with being rejected that way. She was even a little upset, but it wasn't as if she could do anything, anyway.

Asami would feel sorry about her behavior, if she weren't already preoccupied enough about Isolina. She loved this little girl deeply against her will and knew she had to give her back to her parents. She just didn't want to suffer, she didn't want to think of the possibility of having a child in her life, because she gave up on every kind of hope long ago. But her stupid heart went against her resolutions and she didn't know how to handle it.

The only thing she knew was that as long as Isolina needed her she would be there for her, she would love her like she was not supposed to and would never be able to be hard on her.

She was just a child. She didn't know the cataclysm she caused to her life and to her feeling.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this new chapter. I really appreciate reviews, they make my days, so think about leaving one if you have time! Any kind of thoughts is useful (most of the time).**

 **Anyway, I just hope I'm not running in circles, because it's kind of hard going back and forth between the chapters x) Don't hesitate telling me if I repeat myself. Two weeks, it's both too long and too short…**

 **I hope to see you next time!**

 **Lion**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **I'm sorry, but it's really late for me. I'll make it short. So, I didn't reread it correctly. I promise I'll do it in a few days. So, sorry for any mistake!**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

When Asami woke up, Korra was already gone and Naga was not in Isolina's bedroom anymore. However, the young girl was still peacefully asleep. The young woman smiled a little and let her sleep.

She prepared herself a coffee, wondering about what they should do that day. She stared at nothing, the cup in her hand, while her thoughts drifted to Isolina's parents. Where were they? How to find them?

She had no idea how to. She had no way to find them except counting on the police. But they were too slow! She needed to find them the soonest possible. She could not wait. She definitely could not wait.

But the way things were, it could take months, because Isolina was not on Beifong's priority list. Lin knew that Asami would do anything to take care of the little, blue-eyed girl, but the police were struggling with the other children.

So, the CEO had to find them on her own. And for that, she needed more information. To have more information, she had to question Isolina, and in order to succeed she'd have to spend time with her, which would plunge her even more in the depths of affection...

Asami sighed.

Maybe she should just stop fighting and accept being hurt. It was not as if it had never happened to her before. But it had never happened with a child. She didn't know how it was to hand the object of your affection to some complete stranger. She didn't want to know.

"Why are you making strange faces?" a little voice said, startling the young woman.

"Isolina," Asami sighed, laying her eyes on the source of the voice. "Spirits, you scared me."

The girl came to the green-eyed woman, who was sitting on a long-legged chair. Asami left her cup on the table and lifted Isolina up in her lap. The little girl immediately put her arms around Asami's neck to hug her, before leaving an innocent, little kiss on the young woman's cheek.

Asami smiled lightly, rubbing quickly her nose against Isolina's, which earned a chuckle from the young girl.

"Your parents are so lucky to have you," Asami sighed with melancholy, her eyes closed.

"Why don't you have children?" Isolina asked, suddenly.

"Why do you ask?" Asami responded, taken aback.

"You're nice to me. You would be a good mom. Why don't you have children?"

"It's complicated, sweetie," Asami answered at the repeated question.

She didn't want to say much about it, she already didn't like this discussion with Korra, so with Isolina...

"Why?" the girl asked, with a childish curiosity.

"Because..."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I don't really want to talk about it."

"Why?"

"Isolina..." Asami warned, with a bit of authority, indicating that she didn't want her to keep asking questions.

"It's not fair," the little girl pouted, crossing her arms.

"What's not fair?" the green-eyed woman asked, not understanding.

"You get to ask me questions, but you won't answer mine."

She had a point. Asami had never viewed things this way. But, now that she thought about it, she noticed that she wouldn't like either if she were asked questions she didn't want to answer without getting some answers of her own. She might as well go see the police. And Asami was not the police. Isolina was with her because of that: to have a chance to be treated with more humanity.

"Fine," Asami conceded, sighing.

She knew that if she wanted to earn the girl's trust, she had to share things with her too, even things she didn't want to talk about.

"Why don't you have children?" Isolina asked for the third time, starting making her curious face again, with her sparkling eyes and her bright smile.

"Actually, there are many reasons to that," the CEO started, without really intending to go further.

The girl stared at her, waiting for the reasons. Asami winced, understanding she would not be able to avoid it.

"First of all... Korra and I are two women."

"So what?"

"Uuuh... Let's simply say that none of us can be pregnant, because you need a man to make a woman pregnant. And you don't really need to know more about that... for now."

Yes, she was definitely too young. Maybe in a few years someone more competent than her would dare explain it to her without being awkward, which she certainly was not capable of doing right now.

"So, we would have to adopt," Asami continued. "But with Korra, we've never really talked about it... And we're both busy, so it would be difficult for us to take care of a child."

"But you're taking care of me."

"Yes, because you need me right now. But I'm not sure I could... we could manage that for months."

The girl nodded.

"Do you like your answer?" Asami smirked.

"Not really."

"Why?" she asked, truly curious.

"Because bad people have children but you're good and you don't," Isolina simply responded.

"I guess..."

What was that supposed to mean? "Bad people"? Who was she talking about? Her parents? Someone else? Who were these "bad people"? Why were they bad for Isolina? Had she witnessed abuse? Had she been victim of it? Was it just some childish distortion of things?

"Where is Korra?" Isolina asked, breaking Asami's train of troubling thoughts. "Is it going to be the two of us again?"

"Yes. Are you disappointed?" she questioned, remembering that Korra and her had spent a good time the day before.

"I like to play with Naga. And Korra's fun."

"We'll see her tonight, I promise. But for now, would you like some breakfast?"

The girl smiled and Asami returned it, making them some breakfast.

* * *

The morning went well. They played some old games Asami still had from when she was little. She doubted she could teach Isolina Pai Cho, even though she started learning it around her age.

For lunch, Asami suggested to Isolina they have lunch with Korra. The only thing they had to do was to find her.

Actually, Asami thought she was on the Air Temple Island. Something about coordinating the Air Nomads... So, that was where they headed.

And indeed, Korra was there, laughing loudly with Bolin, while Opal was rolling her eyes, a toddler in her arms.

When Korra saw them, she immediately came to meet them.

"Asami!" she half shouted, halfway from them.

She almost crushed into her, wanting to hug her.

"What are you doing here?" Korra asked, happy, taking the two, pale hands in her own.

Asami kissed her wife before answering.

"We were thinking we could have lunch with you."

"Oh, sure. We were having a break anyway."

Korra kneeled down to Isolina, kissing her forehead.

"Hi, little puppy. Did you sleep well? I hope Naga didn't snore. I'll tell her if she did."

The young girl beamed, liking her nickname.

"No, it was fine. I slept really well, thank you," the young, blue-eyed girl politely answered.

"Good," the Avatar said.

While they were talking, Opal and Bolin joined them.

"Asamiiii!" the earthbender said, with enthusiasm before taking her in a bone-crushing hug. "It feels like I've not seen you since your marriage!"

"Come on, Bolin, we saw each other no less than two months ago," Asami rolled her eyes, but returned the hug as well as she could. "But it's nice to see you too. Both of you, with your little one."

Bolin freed her and Opal smiled discreetly at her.

"We saw each other... but we didn't even talk for more than a few minutes!"

"Nice to see you again too, Asami," Opal said, cutting her husband off.

"Hechllo!" the little boy in her arms greeted.

Asami smiled at the dark-haired boy. He had the same light, green eyes as his parents and had this gleam of energy and mischief from his father.

"Hi you," Asami said, bending to be at his level. "You're a big boy now! Last time I saw you, you were still a baby. How old are you?"

"Am three!"

"Well, not exactly," his mother corrected. "Haruo will be three in six months."

"To go school!" the little boy shouted, excited.

"Yeah... Well, it's more hanging out with a bunch of kids at your age, but anyway. You didn't tell us you had a little one too," the green-eyed brunette said, noticing Isolina.

The latter had been gripping Asami's leg since the beginning of the conversation and, once she got noticed, hid behind her.

Asami smiled gently at her, with only a great softness in her eyes. She brushed the black hair with her hand, reassuring her:

"It's okay, they're nice too."

But Isolina didn't want to leave Asami and preferred staying hidden behind her.

"Okay," Asami said, knowing she didn't want to move.

She kneeled down, opening her arms for her to come.

"Come," she said.

And Isolina put her little arms around the young woman's neck and hid her face into her black hair.

Asami lifted her up, keeping her close, so she felt secured.

"Is it any better?" she asked.

She only sensed Isolina nodding lightly into her shoulder. She caressed her, like she was used to doing, to make her feel a little more comfortable.

"So you... finally adopted?" Opal asked, curious eyes watching the scene.

"Nah, we're just taking care of her," Korra answered. "Asami found her in a street and took her home."

"Oh... It's just that I thought... as with Asami, it looks like she..."

Korra pinched two of her fingers together, passing them on her lips as a zipper, and shook her head.

"Ooh," Opal only said, understanding that it was not something they should talk about.

However, Asami was too busy hugging and comforting the girl to really pay attention at the conversation.

"I'm sorry, she's really shy," Asami said with a little smile.

"No problem," Opal assured. "Maybe we should leave you then."

"What? No!" Bolin exclaimed.

Opal elbowed him in the ribs, so that he would start over.

"Oh, I mean... Yeah, maybe," he said, looking a bit sad.

"Wait!" Asami said.

She didn't want her friends to leave. It had been such a long time since they had spent some time together. Opal and Bolin were often busy with their three kids. Well, Korra and Asami were too.

Besides, Isolina couldn't keep hiding from people. It would be quickly very difficult for her to interact with other people in the future...

When the green-eyed woman met her parents, she'd give them a piece of her mind, that was for sure!

"I'm going to talk to her," Asami continued, hoping to make the girl feel comfortable enough with them, so they could eat all together.

She took Isolina apart from the others, keeping her in her arms.

"Are you okay?" the CEO asked, worried.

The girl nodded, her eyes fleeing hers.

"Hey, look at me. It's just the two of us here. You're not afraid of me, are you?"

She heard a muffled chuckle, before seeing two bright and wide, blue eyes in front of her.

"Here you are! You know, I was looking for you!" the green-eyed woman joked.

The girl chuckled again. Asami smiled and put a strand of black hair behind the girl's ear.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, lowering her eyes.

"It's okay. I know you're not used to having people around."

When the girl didn't answer, she kept going:

"Isolina, do you feel like having lunch with them? If not, it's fine, it can be only you and me. I don't know if Korra would join us. Certainly..."

The girl remained silent.

"They won't hurt you, I promise. They are good people. Opal is really gentle, she has three kids, you know. Bolin gets a little too excited for almost everything, but he's nice. They helped Korra saving the world many times."

The girl still gave no answer.

"I see..." the young woman said slowly, a little disappointed not to have managed to convince the young girl. But she didn't want to insist more. "Well, then, stay here, I'm going to tell them we're leaving."

She lowered the little girl to the ground, kissing her forehead. But when she was about to leave, a little hand gripped hers. A curious, green look landed on Isolina.

"I'm willing to try," the little girl said, still not meeting her eyes.

Asami softened. She kneeled down to the girl's level.

"Isolina, sweetie, look at me," she asked gently.

The girl's fearful, blue eyes met the hopeful, green ones.

"You're a courageous little girl," she said, admiration slipping in her voice. "I don't want to force you. If you don't feel like hanging out with a bunch of strangers, let's not do it, okay?"

"No, it's fine," she said, lowering her gaze once more. "Just... don't leave me..."

Asami's heart almost broke when she heard the pleading, fearful, vulnerable voice of this little girl, as if she was on the verge of tears.

"Of course, I won't leave you, sweetie. Never," the green-eyed woman reassured, moved.

She kissed again her forehead, and the corners of Isolina's lips curved a little.

Asami got up, extending her hand for her to take.

"Shall we go?" she smiled proudly.

The blue-eyed girl looked up at her, lightly smiling, with shyness. She took Asami's hand and they got back to the others, a few feet away.

* * *

"So... what's up with Asami?" Opal said once the long-haired woman got away.

"Nothing."

"Yeah, that's why you stopped me just a few seconds ago."

"Let's simply say that we're avoiding some topics... like adoption, children and especially how she behaves with Isolina."

"Isolina? The girl? Why?"

Korra nodded.

"Because she made up her mind about not having children and she becomes all motherly with Isolina. She doesn't want her to leave. I think she may even want to keep her."

"Well, that's good news! What's the problem then?"

"The girl has certainly parents somewhere who are waiting for her."

"Ah, bad news..."

"But even if she hadn't, I'm not sure Asami would allow her to stay with us..."

"Why?"

"Too dangerous."

"Right... But nothing happened in years. The world is at peace, we're just helping out."

"Well, I let you tell her that, because she won't listen to me."

"She's being ridiculous."

"I know. I'm sure it would make her happy. She's happy with her. We all are."

Korra looked at where Asami and Isolina were, seeing the young woman kiss the girl on her forehead, before heading back to them.

"So?" Bolin exclaimed, when Asami came back, almost exploding due to his eagerness to know the answer.

The young woman felt Isolina's grip tighten on her hand.

"So, you need to calm down and, yes, we're staying. As long as she feels good," she added.

"Yes! Amazing!" Bolin could not help but shout with happiness.

"Bolin, she told you to calm down," Opal sighed, scolding him as if he were one of their children.

"I know! But I'm just so excited! I wish Mako were here too."

"Certainly too busy with his prince," Korra smirked.

"Former prince," Asami corrected.

"Not in his heart," the Avatar winked.

The CEO chuckled.

"Indeed."

"So, I guess we're not eating with the other airbenders?" Opal said.

"I would rather not," Asami admitted.

"No problem," Korra said. "I'm just going to get the food with Bolin. Just find somewhere outside where we could sit. The weather is good, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Maybe we should use a blanket or something?" Asami suggested.

"I know where to find that!" the airbender said. "Come with me?"

"Sure."

They parted to get the different things they needed to have some kind of picnic outside.

Opal, Haruo–who was now really sleepy in his mother's arm–, Asami and Isolina left to look for a blanket, the little girl never freeing the young woman's hand.

"So... Isolina, right? How old are you?" Opal tried.

The young girl tensed up, looking up at Asami. The latter nodded to make her answer the question.

"I... I'm five," she stuttered in a whisper.

"So... you're going to school next year?"

"I don't know. My parents never talked about school. What is it?"

"It's a place where children learn things, how to read, how to write, for example."

"I already know that."

"You do?" Asami asked, surprised.

"Yes. My mother taught me."

Asami stared at her, wide-eyed, and Opal only raised her eyebrow.

They didn't continue the conversation, as they reached a closet full of bed stuff. Since Opal had her son in her arms, Asami took the blanket under her arm in order to keep Isolina's hand in hers.

They then looked for a place to sit. They simply chose a parcel of grass in the shadow of a tree. The green-eyed woman put the blanket on the ground and they sat on it, taking off their shoes.

Soon after that, Bolin and Korra came, arms full with things to fill up their stomachs.

They ate together and it went well. They talked about old times and their lives.

Asami often glanced at Isolina, making sure she was okay. The little girl simply kept quiet, close to her.

Haruo had fallen asleep and his mother put him to bed for a little nap.

When they were all over, they laid down on the blanket, knowing they'd soon had to go back to work. Well, not for Asami.

She had Isolina's head on her lap. She caressed the raven hair softy, until the girl fell asleep. She continued her movement, not wanting to wake Isolina if she stopped. She laid her eyes on the little body on her and never looked away from it.

Opal was staring at her, curious. She had never seen that look all over her friend's face. It was a look of incredible hope, great peacefulness, and gentle love.

She looked at Korra, nodding toward Asami. The Avatar had already seen that look on her wife's face, almost exclusively when she was with Isolina.

The Avatar only sighed, mouthing an "I know" to Opal. Asami was too distracted to notice anything, anyway. As for Bolin, his stomach was so full that he could probably fall into a coma soon enough, or at least fall asleep.

Which wasn't good, so they had to go. Their break was heading to its end, anyway.

"Babe, we have to leave," Korra said to Asami.

"Okay. I'll just stay here and take care of the blanket before leaving. I don't want to wake her up."

"See you this evening," Korra said, kissing her lightly.

Asami smiled, and waved to her friends who did the same, too afraid to talk and wake up the sleeping girl.

"They seem... close," Opal said to Korra, once they were further.

"They are close. Isolina needed someone to love her, and Asami to give love to a child. I don't know how it's going to end..."

"At least, you'll be there for her anyway," the green-eyed woman said with a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, I guess I will," the Avatar sighed, hands on her hips.

"Let's not think about that now. You can't do anything about it anyway. So you were saying that the police and the airbenders should work better together?"

And so, they returned to Tenzin and the other airbenders to keep planning where to send some help.

* * *

Minutes later, Isolina woke up, pleased to be on Asami's lap.

She sat up, looking around her.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"They got back to work," the young woman answered, her hand still running through the young girl's hair. "Was it okay? To be around them, I mean."

"I think," she answered. "But I like you better."

Asami smiled.

"It's because you've spent a lot of time with me. Shall we go home? Except if you have something in mind you want to do first."

Isolina shook her head.

"Maybe we'll stop by the police station first."

The girl nodded.

They got up and Asami folded the blanket. She didn't know whether she should put it back where they had taken it or put it somewhere someone would wash it. It was not as if the grass was really dirty, but it was still the ground.

Eventually, Asami didn't decide, because she met Pema.

"Oh, hey, Pema!" Asami greeted, almost shyly.

"Asami, dear! It's been so long! You should come on the island more often."

"Well, everyone is so busy, I wouldn't like to impose."

"Nonsense. You know that you're always welcome here."

"Thanks, Pema."

"And who's this cutie?" she asked, lowering herself to get a better look at Isolina.

"Her name is Isolina," Asami answered instead of her, noticing the girl starting to cling onto her again.

"What brought you two here?"

"We were having lunch with Korra, Bolin and Opal."

"You could have joined us in the main room."

"Actually, I asked them not to. Isolina is not really used to people other than me and Korra."

"Oh, I see. She's living with you?"

"For now, yes."

"For now? I didn't know that you hosted children."

"We don't. Usually. But it was the only solution."

"I see..."

"Anyway, I wanted to know what I should do with this blanket! We used it to picnic outside, so it's not really dirty, but still..."

"I'll just take it with me."

"Thanks, Pema."

"Don't mention it."

"We have to go. But see you soon!"

"I hope so. And I hope to see Isolina again too."

Asami smiled with a hint of sadness, but not brave enough to say that she should be gone by then. Because she didn't want her to be gone by then, even if she needed to.

Before going home they went to the police station where Lin told them she still didn't have any news from Isolina's parents. Asami grunted and Isolina shrugged, emotionless. Lin raised her eyebrow, troubled by the reaction.

Then they got back home. Asami didn't know what to do with Isolina. So she played with her, chatting with her, getting to know her. However, she wouldn't talk about her blurred past. Asami knew about her favorite color, her dreams, what she learnt, how she learnt, what she liked... Unfortunately, all of that wouldn't help her find her parents but only make her love her more.

Finally, she decided to cook them something for when Korra was home. She left Isolina with her drawings, always some bright colors spilled together.

But then, the little girl got bored and joined her in the kitchen, asking if they could make a dessert. Although a little surprised, Asami agreed and they went through an old book of recipes the young woman had kept from her mother. They chose to make a strawberry pie—strawberry being Isolina's favorite fruit, as Asami had learnt.

It was fun. Isolina was as messy as Korra was in the kitchen. That was how she ended with flour all other her face and in her hair.

"Ok, I think we need to wash that away," Asami smirked.

The little girl giggled and Asami took her to the bathroom, where she delicately washed the pale face with a soft towel.

"Do you want me to wash your hair?" she asked, drying the little girl's face.

"If you don't mind."

"Of course, I don't, sweetheart," she said with a kiss on her now-clean cheek.

Isolina grinned at her and Asami washed her long, dark hair, being careful not to hurt her.

"Are you going to braid them?"

"If you want me to."

"It would be nice."

So, the green-eyed woman dried as well as she could Isolina's hair with a towel and started braiding them even if they were still a bit wet.

The little girl liked it and since Korra was still not home, they played a bit more.

"I'm home!" Korra said when she got in the house.

She then saw Asami going through the room as if looking for something.

"Are you looking for something?" the Avatar asked, incredulous, titling her head.

"Oh, hi, Korra! I didn't hear you got home."

"Yet, I shouted..."

Asami came to her and kissed her, a little bit harder than she had been used to since Isolina had come living with them.

"You're not afraid of Isolina seeing us anymore?" Korra inquired, noticing the little change.

"She's hidden somewhere. We play hide-and-seek."

"Ah, I see. So, basically, you lost her?" the Avatar smirked, teasing her.

Her wife just smacked her on the arm, playfully.

"Actually..." she started, trailing off.

She then walked to her bedroom, walking around the bed.

"No, not here," she said to Korra with a wink.

They then heard some little, muffled chuckles from under the bed, which made both women smile and suppress a laugh of their own.

Asami gestured, so that Korra walked out of their bedroom. The CEO closed the door, eavesdropping what was going on inside. She heard the little body of Isolina sliding against the wooden floor, and then, a few little and delicate steps which came toward the door.

Asami chose this moment to open the door and rapidly take Isolina in her arms.

"Got you!" she exclaimed with a smile.

The little girl laughed and Asami started to tickle her, lying her on the bed for Isolina to be comfortable.

"No, don't do that! Don't tickle me! Asami!" the girl complained through her laughters.

Asami laughed too, imitating a monster with some "arrrgh" "ruuugh", saying she was going to eat her alive. She blew raspberries on the girl's cheek and neck and Isolina only laughed harder.

After some time, Asami finally stopped, letting herself fall onto the bed and lie on it. Isolina climbed upon her, a smile all over her face. The young woman cupped her cheek, the girl leaning into her touch. She then laid onto Asami and the green-eyed woman put an arm around her, with a little sigh of contentment.

Korra was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed against her chest, watching the scene. She smiled all along, as a spectator, as if she weren't there. It looked like the little girl and the young woman had completely forgotten about her. They were in their own world, as, she suspected, they had been most of the day.

The blue-eyed woman didn't want to interrupt them, to enter in their world without an authorization. So, after watching them for several minutes, she left, going back to Naga.

"Hey, girl," she said to her polar-bear-dog friend.

The latter nuzzled her and Korra petted her.

"I don't know what I should do with Asami," she admitted to her animal confident. "We're most of the time on the same page, you know. But since Isolina has been here, I don't know what to do anymore! Well, Asami is not helping me. I think she hasn't left me out so strongly before."

She sighed.

"This whole situation is so complicated... I don't know what Asami really wants and she doesn't want to talk to me about it."

Naga looked her in the eyes, as if to say: "what about you?"

"Me? I just want her happy. I've never seen her like that. Well, I guess she's a bit like that with me too... But it's not the same. I mean, I'm her wife, not her daughter. She doesn't have to take care of me the same way. You know what I mean, right?"

Naga only looked at her and licked her face.

"Ugh! Naga!" the Avatar complained. "But I guess you're right, I should talk to Asami about it, not you. Whenever she'll accept talking about it..."

She petted her white-furred animal a bit more, before heading back inside. Isolina and Asami were still on the bed, but this time, the little girl was sitting on her wife, busy clapping her hands against Asami's.

Korra almost threw herself at her bed, landing beside Asami, on her elbow so that she could see both of them playing. But as soon as she got noticeable, Isolina stopped playing and threw herself at her neck.

"Korra!" she happily shouted.

"Oh... Hey," the Avatar started, stumbling, as she was too surprised by the sudden enthusiasm of the little girl. "Hi, little puppy!"

She hugged Isolina back and saw Asami smirking, with a knowing smile. Okay, Isolina was adorable... She got that.

At this time, she realized she had been wrong earlier. This world, where they played joyfully, was not Asami and Isolina's world. It was only Isolina's. She invited Asami to come along, and she was doing the same with her.

When the young Avatar and the blue-eyed girl parted, the latter was smiling.

"Can I play with Naga tonight?" Isolina asked.

"Sure. I mean, if it's not late," Korra said.

"Then, we better eat before it's too late," Asami advised. "Supper is ready anyway."

She got up, soon followed by her wife and the little girl.

They set the table and ate. Korra asked how their day was and Isolina started to tell her about all the things they had done.

The Avatar smiled at Isolina's energy. The more the days passed, the more she was open to them, the more she was getting back in touch with a childish, adorable, enthusiastic, playful part of her.

She was light. A beautiful, little, cute light in their days.

While they were eating the strawberry pie, the CEO told Korra how the kitchen was a real mess and teased her, saying she had the same cooking abilities as a five-year-old. The Avatar falsely pouted like the five-year-old she was told she was, and the two others laughed, earning a smile from the blue-eyed woman.

Once they were done, the two women cleared the table and took care of the dishes, while Isolina went playing with Naga in the living-room. Usually, the polar-bear-dog wouldn't come inside, but Asami felt more secured if she could see Isolina when she played outside, which she could most likely not do from the kitchen.

It got late and Isolina was put to bed by Asami, like the nights before. Naga settled down in the room to sleep with the little girl.

Asami kissed the girl good night.

"And remember, don't play with Naga. You sleep," Asami ordered.

"Yes, Asami!" the little girl playfully answered, rolling her eyes.

"Good night, sweetheart," she smiled.

Korra came to kiss her too and Isolina hugged her.

"Good night, little puppy."

And she closed the door, joining Asami who got back to the living-room. She had taken a book and was reading on the couch.

"Asami," Korra called, somewhat a bit hesitant and shy.

The green-eyed CEO looked up at her with worried eyes.

Korra sat on the couch beside her, the green eyes never leaving her. She sighed.

"We'll have to talk about it, you know," Korra said, looking at the wall, her elbow on her knees.

She heard no answer, but she felt the pale-skinned hand on her forearm. She looked at its owner.

Asami had a thin grin on her face, looking vulnerable because of her light and sad green eyes.

"I know," she only said.

Korra knew she meant that they would do that but not right away.

The Avatar smiled back, with an understanding look. Asami leaned on her arms to get closer to the dark-skinned face, before kissing her tenderly.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too."

Asami sat back, her back against Korra's chest as she kept reading. The blue-eyed woman only kissed the top of her head, while rubbing little circles on the CEO's shoulder.

They stayed like that until they went to bed.

* * *

 **A/N: Enjoyed it? How about a review? Anyway, thanks for reading! See you next time!**

 **Lion**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **Two days late this time. I hope you'll forgive me ;) Well, I have to admit, I hated this chapter when first I wrote it. So, when I corrected it, I changed too many things, and I had to use these two more days to update this version (since I correct the French version first). So, yeah, sorry! I hope it doesn't have too many "French way of viewing things", or too many mistakes. But, well, you don't usually complain, so I guess it's good ;)**

 **By the way, the fanfiction is rated T, and this chapter slips a little to M, but I'm not even sure :/ Well, just know there is nothing explicit, or too explicit, and that it's not long anyway. I just don't want people to be surprised in a bad way xD**

 **Anyway, I let you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

This morning, Isolina was the first one to get up. She didn't know if Korra and Asami were still asleep but she didn't want to disturb them.

Naga certainly sensed that the little girl was awake, because she woke up too, sitting straight and waiting for her to do something.

Isolina played with her a little, and petted her, for long minutes, letting some discreet chuckles escape her mouth.

But then she decided she needed to go to the bathroom. She got out of her room and Naga followed her the whole way.

Once she had done what she needed to be done, she wondered what she could or should do. After all, she didn't want to wake up the two sleeping women. However, Naga decided otherwise.

"Naga! Where are you going?" the blue-eyed girl whispered, as the polar-bear-dog was leaving.

The animal payed no attention to her and climbed up the stairs which went to the rooms.

"Wait, you can't go this way!" Isolina warned, following her.

Naga stopped at Korra and Asami's door, looking at the little girl, as if asking her the permission to go in.

"You'll wake them up, we can't go in."

But Naga was looking at her with her puppy eyes. Isolina bit her bottom lip. Was she supposed to let her in? Probably not.

However, she felt a bit lonely and she didn't know what to do alone in the mansion. Plus, Naga could certainly get in without her anyway: with her big paws and her weigh, she could undoubtedly kick down the door, and certainly a part of the wall. Which was far from being a good thing.

She didn't even know why Naga was asking her in the first place. Was she even asking? Maybe she was just saying: "I'm going to go; do you want to come?"

"Fine," Isolina said, with a bit of apprehension. "But just for looking, okay?"

She opened the door slowly, not making any noise, and Naga didn't even wait for it to be fully open before rushing inside, forcing entry into the room and pushing Isolina in the process. Immediately, Isolina felt regret spreading through her stomach.

Asami and Korra were both asleep in their bed, facing each other in their sleep. They were breathing slowly and at the same pace. On the red blanket that covered their bed, their hands were linked, their fingers interlaced. It looked like they had been talking before falling both asleep at the time, time stopping during their sleep.

"Naga, wait!" Isolina whispered, not wanting to interrupt this marvelous painting of the two women peacefully asleep.

But it was too late. The polar-bear-dog had already made her way to Korra's side, nuzzling her back. Her big, wet nose wandered on the Avatar's neck. Korra noticed it very soon, because she had already been awoken this way numerous times.

"Naga!" she grunted, not willing to open her blue eyes.

Asami started to move too, disturbed by the little noises and the movements.

Seeing that, Isolina climbed upon the bed to join her. She walked on all fours, and stopped when she reached the green-eyed woman's pale and sleeping face.

"I'm sorry. I let her in," Isolina said, apologetic.

"It's fine, sweetie," Asami said with a sleepy voice, struggling to open her eyes, but extending her hand for Isolina to come closer.

The girl laid down between the two women and Asami caressed her arm slowly.

"So, you're not mad?" Isolina tried to make sure.

"Of course not, sweetie."

"I am!" Korra spoke.

"Korra..." Asami grumbled, between reproach and exasperation.

"Mornings are Evil," she simply responded, bitterly, while putting her head under a pillow.

"Don't mind her," Asami said to reassure the little girl. "She's just grumpy in the morning."

Then, there was a silence. They could only hear Naga's impatience, as she was fussing around.

"Are you going to go back to sleep?" Isolina asked, staring at Asami who still had her eyes closed and a hand on her forehead.

"Mmm... Probably not," she answered. "Just have to get up."

"Is Korra going to get up too?"

"I would be very surprised if she did," Asami chuckled.

They then heard some kind of grumble from under the pillow.

"Doesn't she have to get up for work today too?" Isolina continued, curious, because Korra was often already gone when she got up.

"What?!" Korra exclaimed, as if she were deeply offended, staring at Isolina after having pulled her head out of under the pillow. "No work today, little puppy. It's the weekeeeend."

"You sometimes work on weekends too, miss the Avatar." Asami made her notice.

"Whatever..." she said, waving nonchalantly her hand in the air.

"Come on, Isolina, let's have breakfast. Korra will join us when her stomach asks her to."

Asami got out of the bed, Isolina was following her while they were walking out of the room.

"Come on, Naga, you know that Korra is not going to get up," Asami said, opening the door of the room.

And the polar-bear-dog got out then, going ahead of the girls. All three of them went through the mansion to get to the kitchen, then Asami opened the big window to let Naga run.

The polar-bear-dog immediately got out to run freely in the garden. The green-eyed woman filled a bowl for her, and put it beside the window for her to eat whenever she decided to.

Then, she prepared breakfast and ate with Isolina. All along, the girl was staring at her. After some time, Asami finally picked on it.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's weird to see you without makeup," the girl said.

"Ah, right. When Korra saw me like that the first time, she stared at me for hours, not letting me out of bed. Not that I wanted to go out of it, anyway," Asami smirked, her eyes staring at some imaginary spot as she recalled the memories.

Isolina looked at her, curious, not being used to seeing Asami with this kind of expression on her face.

The young CEO shook her head, leaving the past to come back to reality.

"Anyway!" she said, a little too loud. Isolina didn't need to know about these memories—which involved lots of kissing, caressing, cuddling, pleasure... Yeah, she definitely didn't need to know that. "I'm going to see what Korra's doing. She's usually not that long to get up."

She cleared her part of the table, since the little girl wasn't finished yet, because she had spent most of her time staring at the young woman.

Then, she went upstairs to find her wife seemingly asleep on her pillow. She rolled her eyes, amused.

"You're really serious?" Asami asked, reaching Korra's face with the back of her hand to wake her gently.

A second after that, two strong hands gripped her hips and Asami fell onto her bed, using her hand not to bump her head into Korra's. Two lips captured hers and somehow, she ended up astride Korra's hips, with her hands cupping her dark-skinned face and hands running along her back. A soft moan escaped her lips as the kiss deepened.

"Korra, we talked about that," Asami said between two kisses with a warning tone.

"I'm not doing anything," the Avatar answered, innocently.

You are. You're arousing me, Asami thought, as she felt her body reacting to her caresses and her kisses.

They kissed for several more minutes. Asami pulled Korra closer, the closest possible. She had her arms around her neck, her chest against her, and if she could she certainly would let her hands wander on the dark skin. But she knew that if she started that, there was no going back.

"You should go breakfast..." Asami tried. She didn't really want Korra to stop, she never would, but she had to.

"I'm perfectly fine here," she answered with that terrible, deep voice that sent shivers along Asami's spine.

The Avatar let one of her hand go under Asami's night wear, flirting with her pale skin on her back, before travelling across her stomach, going up to caress her breast.

"Korra," Asami breathed, finding it suddenly hard to breathe. It was meant to warn her, to stop her, but it came out more like a call for her to fulfill her desire.

"Yes?" the other woman asked, as she trailed an invisible way down her neck, nibbling a bit of the pale skin along the way.

"The door is open," the CEO said, as Korra's mouth was now on her stomach, letting burning kisses on her skin.

"Do you want me to close it?" the Avatar asked.

Yes, Asami thought first, and then: it's not what I meant though.

She realized that her excuse was actually pitiful, and it sounded more like she wanted to continue this. She definitely wanted to continue this. But no. She had to stop that. Without any doubt.

Except that it was too late. Korra had slipped her hand under her pants, putting light pressure just on the right spot.

"D-Don't," she stuttered, shakily, trying to keep her moan to herself.

"Are you sure?"

I'm not sure of anything, Asami thought.

She was completely lost, disoriented, powerless facing her wife's love. She succumbed to her tender caresses and her gentle attentions.

"Stop, I-..."

She didn't get to finish her sentence as the pressure came back, as a hand fondled her breast again with passionate care.

She knew what Korra was going to do next. She couldn't let her do that. She couldn't allow her to give her what she wanted. Not now, not like that.

When fingers began brushing her intimate area, in her confused and hazy mind, she started thinking of Isolina, her sweetness, her innocence.

Now was not the time. She couldn't do that. She couldn't do that to her.

She breathed heavily, trying to gain enough courage to leave from Korra's lap. Then, suddenly, she withdrew, leaping to sit to the edge of the bed, turning her back on Korra. She put her head in her hands, trying to calm down.

The Avatar gently smiled.

"And to think that I almost got you," she smirked.

Asami would have glared at her if she weren't that confused and flushed, due to her own weakness. She was breathing heavily to regain her composure, to cool off, to forget the need of her wife's body, the emptiness of her unfulfilled desire.

She rearranged her clothes.

"You need to breakfast and I need a shower," Asami stated, emotionless, after a few long seconds hanging up in the air.

"Oh yeah, I felt that," Korra chuckled.

Asami finally found the courage to face her, and looked daggers at her.

"It's not funny, Korra!" she scolded. "The door was open!"

The Avatar moved her hand, and the door closed thanks to airbending.

"I could have closed it. I didn't know how far you would let me go."

"Too far, apparently."

She then proceeded to go to the bathroom, not willing to have any talk on the moment. She didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Whoa! Stop!" Korra ordered, feeling like she couldn't leave the situation as it was, at risk of putting in danger their relationship.

She rapidly untangled herself from the bed sheets and joined Asami in the corridor before she reached the door of the bathroom.

She seized her hand and Asami jumped a little, almost screaming:

"Don't touch me!"

Despite her brutal orders, she didn't free her hand. She turned around, seeing hurt in Korra's eyes, who held the tips of her fingers. She immediately felt guilty of her hard words. She had never done that before. She had never rejected her touch. She had never rejected her.

"I-I'm sorry," she apologized, feverishly.

She saw the blue eyes softening a little, even if hurt was still into them.

"It's okay, my love," Korra said, with a sweet slowness.

"I just don't want to start again," she explained, lowering her head. "You know I want to. We just can't. Not now."

"I know," the Avatar seriously answered. She kissed Asami's hand lightly, to prove her point, to prove she won't go any further. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have played with you like that. I was being immature. I love you. And I just want you."

"I want you too. But... we have to be careful. Until she returns home."

"I think it'll take longer than expected, love. But I said I'll wait, so I'll wait."

"Thank you."

Now, she thought, how long are we going to manage to wait?

Her thought disappeared as Korra pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. She tensed at first, afraid of what could ensue, but relaxed when she remembered their talk and realized it was an innocent kiss, only filled with pure love.

"I guess Isolina is downstairs?" she said.

"Yes."

"Cool. I'm going to join her then. Have a good shower."

"Thanks."

They parted ways.

A few minutes later, Asami got in the shower. Taking off her clothes, she let the hot water hit her head and run along her back, as she breathed, leaning on the wall and the head directed at the floor.

She could still feel Korra's hands on her, in her. She missed her touch. She missed her skin. She missed her kisses and her mouth, her warmth and her body. She wanted to feel everything, to have her to her and for her, without anything but their bodies to convey their mutual love. And she knew all too well that these simple thoughts reawaked her body to an ardent desire.

Asami breathed heavily, trying to control her passionate yearning.

To say the truth, she didn't quite understand. She felt like she was a horny youngster, unable to control herself. It was a terribly violent and sudden lack, although it had only been a few days.

Yet, it was not as if they had never been separated. Nevertheless, when they were, they could not do anything else beside waiting for the other. There was nothing to tempt them, to mock them, to make them give up. This time, they had to stop themselves, they had to fight against their desire—though they had never needed to care about something like that before! They lived in their mansion and had always done whatever they wanted to, whenever they wanted to.

Asami sighed.

Korra was right. If Isolina stayed any longer, they would have to find a way to release the tension, or the littlest physical contact might them drive to a series of events Isolina would not be part of.

Not that Isolina would be that traumatized... Well, Asami never had the chance to bump into her parents like that, so she couldn't know for sure. Nonetheless, she knew that when her father decided to have "the talk" with her, imagining that her parents had had sex was... quite disturbing.

She shook her head. Even now, it was quite disturbing. So, the less Isolina knew, the better it would be. Plus, she didn't want to have to deal with the certainly really awkward questions that would come afterward, like "what is it for?". Because a couple composed of a man and a woman could say it was to have children, but them…

Eventually, Asami decided to stop thinking about that—at the least to try—and showered. She dressed up and put some make-up on, before heading to where her wife and Isolina were.

When she reached her destination, she smiled: Korra was airbending the little girl to make her feel like she was flying.

"Look, Asami! I'm flying!" the girl shouted, delighted.

"I see that, sweetie," she answered.

Even if the vision she was given—filled with pure joy and amusement—gave her a real pleasure, she couldn't help but feel a bit worried though. She knew Korra wouldn't drop her, but only thinking that this could happen made her feel uncomfortable.

"Okay, enough for today," Korra smiled, slowly putting the girl down on her feet.

"But I liked it!" Isolina complained, slightly pouting.

"I know, Isolina. But we can't do that all day. I'm maybe the Avatar, but I get tired too."

"Could we do it again?"

"Anytime."

"Now?"

Korra chuckled.

"Anytime, but now," she said, both firmly and gently.

The five-year-old slightly pouted, before Asami took her in her arms.

"You put your make-up back on," she noticed.

"Yes. Do you like it?"

"I like the other way too," she said, while putting her little hands on Asami's cheeks.

"What do you want to do today?"

"I don't know. Will Korra stay with us?"

"I'm not going anywhere," the Avatar assured.

The girl seriously nodded.

"Can we do something together then?"

"Of course, sweetie."

"With Naga too?"

"With Naga too."

And Isolina beamed. That was all she wanted.

* * *

That was how they ended up in Republic City's zoo.

Asami remembered Isolina saying that she hadn't had animals near her house, back when she was still living with her parents. So, the young CEO thought it would be a good way to learn about them.

So far, they had spent one hour and a half in the zoo, under a bright sun, and they had seen dozens of animals. They had even attended to a spectacle with otter-penguins.

The two women loved seeing the girl's face light up when she saw a new animal and how she followed them with her curious, wide, blue eyes as they were moving, almost mimicking their movements.

After a few hours, Isolina ended up on Korra's shoulders, because she had started getting tired of walking. The Avatar was securely holding her legs and Isolina was gripping her head.

"We see a lot more here," the girl commented.

"Oh, I bet you do," Korra said.

"I'm even taller than Naga!"

Asami chuckled a bit. Yes, she was taller than the polar-bear-dog walking next to them.

The staff of the zoo had not been really pleased with the animal walking in, but Korra hadn't given them a choice, only saying she was like a big dog: completely inoffensive. Who were they to contradict the Avatar?

Asami had only shaken her head and let her pursue the talks. She couldn't do anything about it anyway.

But she started to think she should have done something about it because Naga had started barking and howling with the polar-bear-dogs of the zoo, which was frightening everyone around them.

The staff tried to calm the wild polar-bear-dogs, glaring at Naga, because they thought she was the cause of all of that commotion; which was not that wrong.

"Stop it, girl," Korra ordered. "I know you lost your pack but that was a while ago!"

Maybe she should have left her at the entrance... Or she should have tried to have contact with other polar-bear-dogs before, because she clearly wasn't ready for that, and as a consequence, didn't know how to make her stop.

Because despite her requests, Naga wouldn't stop.

"Korra... if you don't do something, we'll certainly be expelled from the zoo forever," Asami said.

"I know. I'm trying!"

She lifted Isolina off her shoulders to put her back on the ground. She then went to pet Naga's head, talking to make her stop, but she had decided she wouldn't obey and would ignore her.

Isolina had been staying with Asami, holding the leg of the young woman. A second after, she decided she wanted to help and left Asami to go to Naga.

"Wait, Isolina! Don't!" Asami said, a bit worried, trying to reach for her, a bit too late as she had already gone a long way.

She knew Naga was usually nothing but gentle, but she was in an abnormal state and, if even Korra couldn't calm her down, she was afraid of what could happen to the little girl, whom the animal had known only for a few days and who remained a vague acquaintance.

However, Isolina didn't listen to her and walked to the white-furred animal. Even if Asami had a great urge to stop her, she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"It's okay, Naga, we're here," she said.

Naga nuzzled her a little and Isolina hugged her big, white face, making her stop.

Korra walked back to her wife, looking at the two with a puzzled look. Then, she looked at Asami who was as puzzled and who shrugged.

"Maybe you should tell them something," the CEO said, noticing all the scared people, who had started to gather around them, staring at the white beast with suspicion.

Korra cleared her throat, before stating with a strong and reassuring voice:

"It's okay people! Everything is fine. Please resume and enjoy your visit."

Little by little, people left, doing as they had been told.

Once they left and Isolina stopped hugging and petting Naga, Korra stared at her animal friend, her head titled to the side, with a dubious expression, and a hand on her hip.

"So that's what it is?" she said. "You prefer her over me. After everything we've been through together? How rude, Naga!"

Her animal friend thought licking her was a good way to be forgiven, and so she did with a great ardor.

"Alright, girl," Korra laughed, through the big strokes of tongue. "I forgive you. As always."

She put their noses together, to mark the renewal of their great friendship.

At this moment, Asami spotted some people working for the zoo walking toward them, certainly to remedy to the Naga problem.

"How about getting an ice cream?" she suddenly asked.

Isolina grinned at her, in a way that meant "yes". So, they walked away to get an ice cream and the employees didn't bother to catch up with them. They had other things to do and they simply hoped they were leaving.

However, the little group stayed for a little while longer before Isolina got too tired and they got home.

She went to bed early that evening, letting Korra and Asami alone.

They talked a bit, uncomfortable somewhat, because of this new dynamic, which had been established since the morning, and which was perfectly unknown to them. After a while, the conversation faded and they realized that they were kind of bored now that the girl was deeply asleep.

"So... what do we do, now?" Korra asked.

"Do we sleep together tonight?" Asami bluntly asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Do we sleep in the same bed?"

"Why wouldn't we?"

"Because I... I'm not sure of what would happen."

"Asami, look at me," Korra said, taking both her hands in hers.

She looked at their joined hands, before looking up toward her wife's loving face.

"Would it be that bad?" Korra asked. "She's asleep."

"I know, but she's a child..."

"Even if she bumped into us doing it, she wouldn't understand."

"Maybe. But maybe it would perturb her. I don't know; have you ever bumped into your parents making love?"

"I didn't really have the opportunity… I've left rather soon for the White Lotus compound. And I don't have many memories before that…"

"As for me, my father remained alone after my mother's death. So, we can't really say we know a lot about all of that."

"Yeah… Not wrong."

They remained silent for a few more seconds.

"Well, so…" Korra started again.

And Asami stayed silent, thinking deeply.

"I guess I sleep on the couch?" Korra asked.

"What? No, I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch! Besides, we have spare rooms."

"Well, I don't know. Maybe being at the same floor might be dangerous, who knows?" Korra joked with a smirk.

Asami groaned.

"Don't be like that…" she begged.

"And… uh, how am I supposed to be when my wife is too afraid of sleeping with me and she sends me somewhere else?"

"It's because you're irresistible," Asami smiled with a wink.

"Sure… Well fixed."

"You know that I love you," she said with a gentle and vulnerable voice.

"I know… And I also know that we both don't sleep well at all when we don't sleep together."

The green-eyed woman winced for a moment. It was terribly true. Even if they shared a house, and as a consequence would definitely be close to each other, sleeping without the other's heat seemed unthinkable.

"Pfff!" Asami uttered, as she let herself fall on the couch. "Why is it that complicated?"

"Don't you feel like you're making them complicated a little too?" Korra said, while going above her.

"Don't look at me with these eyes," Asami complained.

"What eyes?"

Asami pondered then, for a long minute, during which none of the two moved. Then, she straightened up and went for Korra's lips.

"These eyes," she answered, before kissing her again, with more ardor this time, gripping her neck and her brown hair.

"Uh… Asami," Korra warned, noticing that things were starting to get out of control. "Didn't you say that we should sleep apart to avoid exactly this kind of situations?"

"Mmmm… You know what's the problem is concerning this solution?"

"No, but you're going to tell me…"

"It'll never work in the long term. We can as well clear the air now, and see how it goes."

"But… and Isolina..."

"Shhh…" she ordered putting a finger on Korra's lips and gently pushing her, so that she was on her back. "You know you got me terribly frustrated this morning?"

"Whose fault that is?" Korra snorted.

The green-eyed woman started then to kiss the dark-skinned jaw and neck, nibbling some parts of them, as her hands were flirting with Korra's hips.

"You can admit that the timing you chose was not the best," she spoke again, looking Korra straight into the eyes, and raising an eyebrow.

The blue-eyed woman burst out laughing, seeing the rather disapproving look on her wife's face.

"Okay, okay," she confessed. "I guess it's going to be complicated to do that on mornings now. And well, good for us, it's the evening, and our subject of concerns is sleeping. So… bedroom?"

Asami smiled, and took Korra's hand, inviting her to follow her to their bedroom. She let a gentle laugh escape her mouth, as their lips frantically found one another along the way, and their hands explored their bodies. They hardly kept their clothes until they reached the room.

However, they had enough restraint to wait a little, in spite of their burning and harsh impatience.

"The door," Asami said between two kissed, not wanting to have the same situation as the morning.

"Oh, don't worry, this time, I'll close it…"

After that, they threw themselves directly onto the bed and started undressing.

"You sure it's going to be okay with Naga?" Asami asked, suddenly remembering that Isolina was, of course, their main problem, but not the only one.

"Crap, I didn't think about that," Korra said.

They stopped for a few seconds, staring at each other. Then, by common consent, they resumed kissing, because they knew it was too late to stop now:

"She's with Isolina. It'll be fine," Korra said, as if it mattered—they both knew that at this point, they couldn't care less.

However, the name of the girl sent a wave of doubt through Asami's body. What if...

"You sure you're okay with it?" Korra asked, as if she felt it, looking at her in the eyes for a few seconds.

The green-eyed woman answered by taking off the rest of her clothes.

They kissed for a long time, pale skin against dark skin, their hands and their mouths exploring their bodies as if it were the first time.

Asami got revenge for the morning, titillating her partner until her begging was enough for her to fulfill her desire.

When she finished, Korra was breathing heavily against her chest.

"Need a break?" Asami teased, with a smirk.

"Never," the Avatar responded.

She started kissing her tenderly again, gently, caressing her slowly, and Asami knew that even if Korra would never admit it, she needed a few seconds to continue.

And when she felt like it, her hands made her way to Asami's butt and to her wet spot, willing to continue what she had wanted to do this morning. What she managed this time... or so.

Because, soon enough, little knocks were heard and the door was slightly opening, letting a little voice be heard:

"Asami?"

The young woman reacted fast: she took the covers on the bed and wrapped Korra and her in them, before the young girl could see anything.

"Yes?" she answered, trying to steady her voice and her breathing, and to calm her confused mind.

"I had a nightmare," Isolina said.

"Okay. Go back to your room, I'll be there in a minute."

She then heard the door closing again and let herself fall onto the bed, before bursting into incontrollable laughter.

"Why are you laughing? What you feared the most just happened!" Korra said, completely confused both because she had to stop so suddenly and because of her wife's reaction.

"I know, I know," she said, wiping tears out of the corner of her eyes. "I don't know why I'm laughing so hard."

Korra stared, dumbfounded, at her wife who was almost dying laughing, holding her stomach and laughing with difficulty.

"Well, I better go," she eventually said, getting up. "Maybe we should do that under the sheets next time."

"Yeah, that's so convenient..." Korra sarcastically answered, crossing her arms on her naked chest.

Asami wrapped a robe around herself and tried to rearrange her hair.

"Yeah, but if I hadn't reacted, it would have been way more awkward."

"I would have done that myself if my hands weren't busy..."

Asami chuckled.

"I know, honey," she pecked her on the lips. "Let's finish that another time. Do you mind if I send Naga with you? I may spend the rest of the night with Isolina."

"Great. My wife is replaced by my polar-bear-dog..."

"Stop being silly."

"Do as you want. I guess I'll see you in the morning."

"You will."

Asami then kissed Korra what more time, the latter moaning lightly.

"You should go, or I won't take any more responsibilities for what could happen to you and this robe."

The CEO hummed and got away, before it would be impossible for her to join Isolina for at least a few more, long minutes.

"I love you," she told Korra once she reached the door.

"I love you too, my love."

Asami flashed her a smile and went to Isolina's room, as Korra let herself fall nonchalantly onto the bed.

Once the green-eyed woman got into Isolina's bedroom, she asked Naga to go join Korra and sat next to the girl, who was silently following her with her eyes.

"Did I interrupt something?" Isolina asked, quietly.

"Not at all," Asami lied, stroking the black hair.

"But... you looked busy..."

"Sweetie, whatever Korra and I were doing, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm here for you, and that's the most important thing for me. Okay?"

Isolina nodded.

"You're going to stay?" she asked, almost begging.

"Why do you think I asked Naga to leave?"

The girl smiled, reassured

"Want to talk about it?" Asami asked, keeping on caressing her hair.

The little girl's smile vanished then, and she shook her head.

"I understand," Asami nodded. "But, I think it would be good for you to tell me. I had lots of nightmares when I was around your age, and I kept having them for a long time..."

"Why did you have nightmares?"

"My mother died in a big fire. I was saved, she was not. I dreamt about this fire and my mother again and again. I still have those nightmares sometimes."

"So, it doesn't stop."

"Let's say, it's becoming less and less frequent, and someday it's not as painful as it was at the beginning. You live with it, that's all."

There was a long silence. Isolina was thinking about what she had been asked, or at least, Asami hoped so.

"You still don't want to talk about it?" the green-eyed woman asked.

"Maybe another time..."

"Alright. Then, try to get some sleep."

"You're not leaving, are you?"

"Of course not. I'm staying until tomorrow morning. I promise."

Isolina snuggled into the bed, and for a moment, Asami thought she had fallen asleep. But then, her little voice asked:

"Can I have a hug?"

Asami's eyes softened and she smiled a little. She also went under the sheets, on the other side of the bed, and opened her arms for Isolina to come.

"Come here," she said, gently.

The girl came to her and snuggled up to her, being against her still-burning and still-feverish skin. Isolina just appreciated the warmth, and eventually fell asleep.

The young woman had to wait a longer time to find sleep. It felt weird to have that little, tiny, innocent child hugging her to find sleep, when she was so used to her wife, a beautiful, strong woman.

It felt even weirder that the touch was innocent, childish and demandingly, considering she was just having sex with her wife minutes before.

But she somewhat found it comfortable. And when she finished regaining her composure, she fell asleep too.

* * *

 **A/N: So, a little thought for me?**

 **This chapter is maybe a bit different from the other ones, since it's more centered on Korra and Asami. I hope it was okay.**

 **Thank you very much for reading! See you in the next chapter, which is about a new, important discovery ;) Is it going to help clear up this mysterious past, or will it be the opposite? :p**

 **Lion**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hi!**

 **I'm sorry, I'm late. Yeah, one weak late. Currently, I really busy to say the truth. So, you won't like it, but I'll certainly have to put this story on hiatus. I don't have enough time to write. I'm sorry :/ So, if you don't see me in the next few weeks, you know why! It's just that I can't. However, I'll do my best to come back as soon as possible! I'll finish this story. I'll just ask you all to be a little more patient, okay?**

 **As for now, I hope you'll like this really important chapter!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day, they realized it would be a good idea to take care of the house, namely the fridge and what was in it.

So, they basically spent the day shopping and wandering around town.

And then, week started again. Korra went back to work—whatever that could mean for her, who had so many different tasks to take care of—, trying to spend every break with Asami and Isolina.

The CEO had decided to take the week off. She had discussed it with her assistant and everything was apparently fine—which wouldn't prevent her to call once or twice to check, but anyway.

Asami spent most of her time with Isolina. She tried to make her discover a new thing every day, to make her have fun, only to see that joyful expression on the little girl's face.

She also tried to learn more about her and she called Beifong almost every day to give her some more information and to check she had no news about Isolina's parents. But there was nothing. No more information than the first day.

What had scrupulously worried Asami for such a long time had started to diminish as the days flew. She started to care less and less about how long Isolina stayed with her, with them. Maybe she was even starting to like her a lot, more than she would have ever admitted to herself a little while ago.

Actually, she wasn't the only one. Korra, like her, enjoyed every moment she spent with the little girl, and it felt more and more like she had always been part of their life and would be forever.

The thought that her parents would reappear was still there, somewhere in the deepness of their minds, but it was going quiet, even disappearing from time to time.

Isolina didn't seem to miss them... Not much. She wasn't asking for them, in any case.

Asami knew she was still hiding something, something she wasn't ready to share—would she ever be? —, something bonded with the nightmares she was having on some nights. But the green-eyed woman just waited for her to open up.

She hoped, on some nights, when she was the only one who stayed with Isolina, tucking her in after a nightmare, she would talk to her. But Isolina refused to talk about what happened in her dreams.

However, Asami was patient. So, she quietly waited, at every nightmare, at every night, at every minute… She waited for the little girl to be ready to leave the burden she was carrying on her fragile, five-year-old shoulders with her. She waited, and would be there for her.

* * *

"It is true!"

"Korra, it can't be true."

"It is! Bolin told me!"

"That's your justification? I'm sorry, but I'm not sure you could say Bolin is the most reliable source which exists!"

"But that's completely possible! Why the idea of having discovered a new species that breathes fire is so crazy to you? Dragons firebended way before mankind!"

"Dragons which are, to remind you, rare and mystical beasts. And not giant Pabus!"

"Somewhat… In their shape…"

"Korra…" the green-eyed woman mumbled.

The latter suddenly laughed, and after a few seconds, Asami joined her. This conversation was ridiculous.

"Anyway, I'm going to get some water," the blue-eyed woman eventually said. "Do you want anything?"

"No, it's okay. I'll wait for you."

Korra exited their room to go to the kitchen.

Once she got in, she took a glass and metalbent the faucet to make the water run. She waterbent it to make it go directly in her glass, and turned off the water thanks to her metalbending. She brought the glass to her mouth, but before she drank out of it, she noticed that the water was trembling.

Trembling… It was trembling? How could it be trembling? Korra felt the earth underneath and it wasn't moving, even the slightest. So, what was doing it?

Korra bent the water out of the glass, and even in her hands, the liquid was trembling... maybe was it even boiling.

And suddenly, it exploded!

The water splashed her hands and her face, and instantly she got burnt. She let a little scream of pain escaping her lips, closing firmly her eyes and moving back, almost as if she was fighting against a watery enemy.

What had just happened? How was it even possible that she got burnt by water?

She shook her head, not willing to think more about it: healing herself was the priority. She was actually a bit afraid of using water… But she was the Avatar! If she bent more carefully, she couldn't be caught anymore! She just hadn't been ready for this water to explode, last time.

While healing herself with her glowing water, she heard footsteps from her room heading to Isolina's bedroom. Asami was certainly going to Isolina… But why? Had the girl had a new nightmare once again?

A few minutes later, Korra was done, and she went back upstairs to note that, indeed, Asami was not in their bedroom anymore. She took a glimpse in Isolina's room and Asami was reassuring her, caressing her hair and talking with sweet words.

The green-eyed woman noticed her in the corner of her eyes, and nodded, informing her that she would come to see her soon, and that she just had to wait. So did she, leaning against the wall.

A few minutes later, Asami got out of Isolina's bedroom.

"Hey."

"Hey," Korra responded. "A nightmare again?"

"Yeah. She started screaming, so I hurried in her room. She was crying in her sleep. It must have been horrible this time… More than the last couples of times, anyway."

"Asami..." Korra started, crumpling her nose, as she was thinking about what had just happened in the kitchen. The nightmare… and at the same time, water exploding to her face… It was strange how the events coincided. "Do you think... Do you think she could be a bender?"

"I've never seen her bending anything... Why?"

"Nothing. Just a weird feeling..."

"Ok... Well, I'm staying with her for the night."

"I know. Have a good night."

"You too."

They kissed, and Korra went back to the kitchen.

She took a bottle, filled it with water and, going back in her bedroom, put it on her night table. The water was still. Normal. She frowned.

She was going to keep it here and to watch it. She didn't know whether it was a one-night event, or if it was related to Isolina somehow. But she knew that she would figure it out.

* * *

"Good morning."

Korra opened her eyes, and saw Asami smiling softy at her.

"Hi," she responded, smiling. "Did I sleep late?"

"It's not very late."

"Wanna lie with me for a minute?"

Asami didn't respond orally, but she lay down, cuddling up against her wife. Her nose brushed the dark-skinned neck, and she breathed deeply.

"How is she?" Korra asked.

"Fine. I guess... She was so upset yesterday... She was crying and trembling. I tried to ease her, but I don't know what I'm fighting. She doesn't want to talk to me. It took two hours for her to get back to sleep. I wish her parents were here; they could comfort her... I'm so worried... and I can't do anything."

"You're not doing nothing. I'm sure you help her. It's maybe not the way you'd like to help her, but you do."

"Hmm..."

They stopped talking. Instead, Korra caressed slowly the black-haired woman, to communicate all her support and love.

"I'm sure she'll open up someday," Korra assured.

"Maybe she doesn't need to. Maybe she'll be gone by then."

"Maybe... It's been two weeks, though. And Beifong haven't found anything. It's as if she didn't exist before that..."

"She didn't check all the nations."

"I asked my dad and my cousins: she's not part of the Water Tribes either..."

Asami grunted.

"Then, she may be from the Earth Republic or the Fire Nation."

"Asami, what if we never find them?"

"We will."

"It's really hard to find anyone in the Earth Republic. As for the Fire Nation... we could send a message to the Fire Lord, but I wouldn't bet on that..."

Asami remained silent.

"What if we don't find them?" Korra repeated.

"I don't know..."

She hugged Korra tighter, as if to comfort herself, to cling on to her as one could cling on to a rock in the middle of a storm; the Avatar returned the embrace.

The more time passed, the more hope vanished... or, was it growing? The hope of the finding her parents was diminishing. The hope of seeing the girl as a part of their family, on the contrary, was growing.

But was it right? Right to think that, although someone was certainly waiting for her somewhere? Probably not. Certainly not. It wasn't at all.

That was why Asami didn't want to consider the "what ifs". They were going to find her family. There was no other choice. Hope… any kind of hope beside the one of finding Isolina's family had to vanish.

After a few more minutes in their tight, calm and warm embrace, they separated, and Asami got up.

"You're having a bottle of water in the room?" she noticed, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, yeah... Just checking something."

"Ok... Want to tell me about it?"

"Not now. It's probably nothing."

"If you say so," she shrugged, too worried about the little girl to insist more. "I'm going back to Isolina. It's probably better if I'm here when she wakes up."

"Ok. I'll take care of breakfast!"

"Try not to set the whole house on fire," she winked.

"I haven't done that for ages!" the Avatar argued.

Her wife quietly chuckled and left, feeling a little lighter now that she had seen her wife.

"And it wasn't even the whole house," Korra added once she had left, more to herself than to anyone, crossing her arms.

Then, she headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. As she was walking, she saw Isolina's bedroom door being a bit agape. She took a glimpse of the inside.

Asami was on her knees, her head resting on her arms, which were on the bed. She was watching Isolina with adoration and fondness, waiting patiently for the girl to wake up.

Korra smiled, and left, feeling almost ashamed for having caught a glimpse of this special moment. She could easily picture Asami keeping doing that for the rest of her lives, watching that beautiful child and tucking her in.

The rest the day went smoothly. They did as usual, then they went grocery shopping, and the two women tried to lighten up Isolina.

Indeed, the little girl was in a rather gloomy mood. Her nightmare must have been terrible. Usually, she acted as usual, even if something bothered her. But this time...

Asami had never seen her that emotional. It was maybe normal that she was still shaken. Still, the two women preferred when she smiled; so, they tried hard to make her face lighten up again.

They went to a park, in some kind of hidden place. It was not as if a lot of people were outside anyway: the weather was dark. It was predicted that it would rain the day after.

"No, Korra, there is no way I let you do that with her," Asami said strictly.

"Come on, it could be fun!" the Avatar responded. "You didn't even ask her if she wanted to!"

"I don't care whether she wants to climb that tree or not, it's too dangerous."

"Just a few branches... I'll airbend her!"

"I said no. There is no point arguing it."

"Cooome oon!" Korra whined, then pouted: "I remember you being more fun. She's not fun, right?" she said to Isolina.

The little girl shrugged.

"Well, you always agree with Asami, anyway," she said.

"She doesn't!" the green-eyed woman defended.

"She does. She listens to you as if you were her mum."

"Except that I'm not," Asami answered darkly, grinding her teeth and glaring at Korra, because the latter knew that it was a sensitive subject.

So, she put her hands up in submission.

"I'm going to climb that tree anyway."

She airbended herself to a close branch, while Asami shouted to her: "Be careful!"

The CEO then scooped Isolina up. She put a strand of the black hair behind the little girl's ear.

"I'm sorry if you wanted to go," she apologized. "I just don't want you to get hurt. I'm maybe a little too protective, right? I don't want you to feel jailed or anything…"

"It's fine. I didn't want to go."

"Good."

They then watched Korra, who was adroitly and easily climbing. Quickly, she reached the top of the big tree and shouted to them:

"You should have come! There is a great view from here!"

Asami rolled her eyes. As if the view could justify the danger, she thought.

"I'm sure there is," she answered. "Could you come down now? Safely."

Korra jumped and landed easily just beside them, thanks to her airbending, generating in the process a powerful gust of wind which almost threw Asami out of balance.

"Perfectly safe! I told you!" she boasted.

"I know you can take care of yourself. I was worried about Isolina."

"I'll take her up there when you won't be here, then," Korra joked with a smirk.

"Don't dare you to something like that!" Asami aggressively retorted: she didn't like the idea at all. "She's under my responsibility."

"I was just kidding. Relax."

Asami snorted, so Korra noted: no more kidding about the kid's safety. Well, actually, she surely shouldn't joke about anything related to Isolina. Asami was so serious about her...

So, they spend the rest of the time in the park doing things that weren't dangerous and played with the games there.

Isolina even saw other children, but she stayed hidden behind Asami in order not to meet them. The green-eyed woman tried to comfort her, but there was nothing she could do: the young girl really wasn't willing to talk to other children her age. That was why she played on the games where there was no one. And if a kid approached her, she would flee right to Asami, who would hug her.

Somewhere along the day, the blue-eyed girl started getting tired and they got home. Isolina took a nap, and the women withdrew in their room again. The CEO stared at the bottle of water, as if it were some stranger invading her personal space.

"Are you going to tell me what it is for?" she asked, still staring at the mysterious container.

"Not yet," the Avatar answered.

"Do you plan on drinking it?"

"Nope. And don't drink out of it either."

"What is it? Poison?"

"Oh no! It's water. Simply water."

"Fine," Asami sighed, done with the questions. "Just do whatever you want. When are you going to tell me the use for it?"

"Maybe tonight, maybe not. I don't know. Maybe it's not even going to work."

They stopped this conversation and rather took care of supper.

The night arrived fast. Soon, Isolina was asleep, and somehow Asami too. Only Korra was awake. She still didn't know if she was really going to stay awake all night. She was going to have a super hard time the next day, if she were to do that. But, if she wanted to confirm her theory, she had to be awake during the night.

So, she waited patiently. (Which she hated, but her curiosity pushed her to do so.)

But soon, she started dozing off, the bottle of water on her stomach, her eyes heavily closing as sleep was getting under her skin. However, she suddenly woke up when she sensed the water trembling against her skin. She stared at it. So, the events from the day before weren't only one-night events.

She got up, trying not to wake Asami. She sneaked to Isolina's room. The girl was fighting against an invisible enemy, whimpering and contorting herself in her sleep.

Korra watched her, wondering: "should I wake her? Should I get Asami?". But while she was wondering, she water got back to calmness and stillness, and Isolina stopped moving. Looks like she went through her nightmare without waking up, she thought.

But now, she was sure of it: it was no coincidence, the water was reacting to the girl's feelings. She certainly bent it one way or another. Now, was Isolina even conscious of it? Or was she hiding it to them on purpose? Whatever the truth was, Korra was going to discover it.

* * *

"So, Isolina, what do you think of bending?" the Avatar asked.

She had thought that she could guess whether or not Isolina was concealing some mystery, hidden, bending talents by asking her questions and analyzing the answers. As soon as the morning started, she threw herself into a quest in order to have explanations, concerning her most recent observations.

"Not much," the girl said, shrugging.

The answer was not very satisfying. How could this girl manage to be to expressionless? It didn't help her at all! Maybe she should try to push further...

"Do you hate it?" she started again.

"Not much."

"You like it?"

"Not much."

"Would you like to bend?"

"No."

"Korra, stop harassing this little girl and eat your breakfast," Asami interrupted her. "I'm not sure we should go outside today. It looks like it's going to rain," she added, while looking through the window.

"Yeah," she grumbled, disappointed to be interrupted.

They finished eating in silence, while Korra was thinking about another way of testing the girl. Perhaps she should make her play with water? She would maybe bend without even noticing it...

As she was trying to start creating a plan, it started raining.

"I'll get Naga inside," Asami said.

She left. Korra was left alone with Isolina. She stared at her for a few seconds. The girl was eating out of a bowl of cereal, without looking at her.

"Say, if you could bend an element, which one would you bend?" she asked.

"None."

"Come on, pick one! It's not as if it was going to happen, right?"

Isolina played with the cereals which were in her bowl for a few seconds, making Korra hope for an answer.

"Air," she finally said, darky. "That way, no one could see."

"Interesting..." she said, pondering.

She feared someone might see her bend? Was that why she hadn't told them yet? Well, that was if she knew... But since she was clearly avoiding the subject, maybe something was up. Maybe her reluctance was related to her past… But what past? That was the big question since her arrival…

Korra started to understand Asami's frustration. She was also desiring to learn more about Isolina, especially if it could help her understand her bond with bending.

Asami came back with Naga, who was all wet because of the sudden rain. She started shaking her white fur to get rid of the water, the drops splashing Korra.

"Ugh! Naga, stop that! You're making me wet!" Korra complained.

She stopped the drops with her waterbending and put it in the sink. As she was doing that, she had a moment of genius.

The rain... The rain was water. Maybe she should convince Asami to go wandering in the rain...

She hardly saw any better other way for her to be exposed to her element.

However, she waited, because even if she managed to have Asami to agree with her whimsical idea, she didn't know how to make Isolina bend.

Her bending seemed to react to strong emotions... But what could she do that didn't imply that she would be murdered by Asami very soon after it? She surely couldn't scare her to death. Which would certainly be the simplest and the fastest way to get what she wanted.

But she had to find something else… The problem was: what?

At the end, she didn't really have a plan, but she suggested to go outside anyway:

"How about going out? We should walk Naga. You know that she doesn't like being inside too long."

"Well, she doesn't look like she minds playing with Isolina," Asami noticed, watching the polar-bear dog and Isolina starting a silent dialogue.

"Yeaah, but you know... she has some needs... she needs to do outside…"

"Fine. But it's raining, so you could just let her go in the yard."

"Rain is fine! I mean who said Republic City in a rainy day is not pretty? I can protect us from the rain!"

"Why do you want to go outside so much?" Asami inquired, frowning as she got suspicious.

"I don't care about going outside. It's just for... Naga."

"Right... Does it have to do with the bottle of water in our room?"

"Kinda. But don't worry about it!"

"Why don't you just tell me?"

"I want to make sure, first."

Asami sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, eventually giving up.

"Very well…"

And just like that, they went walking into the rain. Korra created a dome of water to protect them from the rain, boasting about the merits of waterbending.

"It's so convenient, you see?" she said to Isolina. "I started bending when I was about your age, and since then I've not been able to do without it! Well, most of the time. Because I couldn't bend for a little while, and that was awful. Can you imagine that?"

"I guess…"

"I mean, it's just like without that dome…"

She stopped bending for a second, and torrents of water fell onto them: they got completely soaked.

"Korra!" Asami scolded, starting to be a bit irritated with her wife's behavior.

"… we're completely wet," Korra finished, watching out for Isolina to do something; anything.

But the young girl was as stoic as a stone, and stared at the ground, keeping walking, without complaining about what she was put through. She was emotionless, impossible to read, and it perturbed Korra.

She would have thought that, after everything she had said or done, she would have at least had any kind of reaction. And absolutely not. She would have thought she would have at least protected herself, but she didn't.

On the other side, _she_ was going to be seriously reprimanded by Asami, that was for sure… She knew that this little game couldn't go on forever, anyway. She just had hoped that it would be a little more satisfying.

She was starting to run out of ideas. Or would it be really necessary to put Isolina in an immediate danger, or to make her go through a great fear? Could she really do that to a five-year-old kid? She found it rather awful.

"Well, I'd like not to be wet, if you don't mind," the green-eyed woman complained.

"Sure," Korra answered, trying to be enthusiastic to finally convince Isolina that bending was great; but she sounded more disappointed than she meant.

The Avatar made them dry and recreated the dome to protect them from the bad weather. She watched Isolina closely, but… nothing.

She was going to groan, to complain, or to do anything that could show how frustrated she was not to achieve her goal, when a hand gripped her arm, holding it almost hard enough so that it hurt.

She turned back to Asami, who had fire in her eyes. That was predictable… Nevertheless, Korra was not really sure she was ready to suffer the wrath of her wife. Maybe that, finally, putting Isolina in danger was not such a bad idea… if it could prevent her to die very soon…

"Could we talk for a minute?" the green-eyed asked, grinding her teeth.

It was far from being a question, but rather an order which was impossible to decline.

"Sure," Korra answered calmly, although she felt a little febrile.

They went under a roof, where Asami asked Isolina to stay with Naga while they were talking. They then went back under the rain.

"Can you isolate us?" the green-eyed woman asked.

"She won't hear us."

" _Please,_ " she insisted.

"Fine," Korra grumbled.

She isolated them in a bubble of water. Then the conversation started instantly and rapidly:

"What do you think you're doing exactly?" Asami almost shouted right away.

"Nothing," Korra said, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Don't lie to me. Don't you think I noticed how you've been insisting on talking about bending since this morning? So what's going on?"

"I'm not sure of it yet."

"Is it about Isolina bending again? Are you trying to push her to the limit or something? Because I won't let you do something which could make her uncomfortable!"

"Who spoke about making her uncomfortable?"

"You just dropped liters of water on us!"

"Well, I was just checking if she reacted. She didn't. Now, I don't know how I could make her bend… Any idea?"

"Why are you so sure she can bend anyway? She could be a simple non-bender as far as I know."

"I don't think so… I mean, the water reacts to her…"

There was a gigantic and loud sound, a lighting crack in the sky, a little girl's high-pitched scream, and the sound of ice violently smashing.

The two women suddenly turned their head to look over the shelter where they had left Isolina: the little girl was both confused and terrified, staring at her trembling hand as if it had done the worst thing in the world, and a line of pick of ice were embedded into the ground or broken onto it.

"… emotions," Korra finished, murmuring since her voice was leaving her because of the surprise.

Well, at least now, she didn't need to find a new way to make her bend…

Isolina looked up at the two frozen women and winced. She took a step back, moved forward, took another step back, took a deep breath, lowered her head, put a hand above her head and went into the rain.

The water was acting like an umbrella, and there no more doubt she was commanding it to do so. And if there was one, it vanished when the blue-eyed girl made a gap in Korra's ball of water to get in it.

She looked up at Asami, her blue eyes sorry and almost watery.

"Could we go home now?" she asked, her voice breaking. "I don't like storms…"

Asami opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out of it. She glanced at Korra: did she want to go home now? The Avatar noticed it, and responded.

"Yes, we can go home. Let's go."

She whistled for Naga, and they got onto her to go home faster, because Isolina was afraid of thunder and lighting. The ride was completely silent.

Once they got home, Asami announced that she was going to have a bath, and she fled to the bathroom.

The other two remained silent for a long moment. Isolina petted Naga, and Korra didn't know whether she should try to initiate a conversation or not. Long minutes passed, but then Korra tried to talk:

"So… you're a bender, huh?"

"Is she mad at me?" Isolina asked, looking at her with sad, pleading, blue eyes.

"Oh… Well, no, I don't think so…"

"Are you sure? She looked mad…"

"She was not mad… just troubled, I think."

The girl lowered her gaze, and focused on Naga. The blue-eyed woman noticed that she was not completely believing her, and she didn't want the relationship that Isolina had with Asami to get bad because of a misunderstanding, so she suggested:

"You could go ask her, you know?"

"Isn't she having a bath?"

"Well, yes… Just knock onto the door and ask if you can get in then."

"Okay…"

She got up and climbed the stairs, followed by Korra's soft gaze. The little girl hadn't had a second thought. She didn't know whether she was simply courageous, or she loved Asami enough to be so willing to make herself be forgiven.

So, Isolina headed to the bathroom, and did as Korra had told her.

"Yes?" Asami asked from behind the door, once she had knocked.

"Can I come in?" the little girl asked, almost confident.

"You can."

She pushed the door, so she could slip in the bathroom, her little body going through the little gap she had made. When she got in, she got surprised: she wasn't expecting Asami to be naked in her bath with a book into her hands.

"You're naked…" Isolina said, fidgeting a little because she was uncomfortable.

Immediately, seeing the young girl's discomfort, Asami dropped her book and strengthened.

"I'm so sorry! It makes you uncomfortable, right? It's just… I don't really mind anymore, I didn't think… well, I was reading so obviously I didn't think of that… Wait, I have an idea."

She took a bottle near the bath and put a bit of the liquid it contained in the water. She waved her hands in the water and soon lots of white bubbles were covering her body.

"Better?" she asked, with a little, guilty smile.

Isolina chuckled.

"It wasn't that bad," she said. "I had just never seen anyone naked before…"

"Even your own parents?"

She shook her head.

"I see… Well, I'm not like that. I mean, my mother would even bath with me when I was little."

After this brief conversation, words faded, and Isolina and Asami stared at each other for a few seconds, none of them knowing what to do. Isolina had almost forgotten why she was there, and didn't dare to say anything, seeing that it looked like Asami was as warm as ever. And the young woman didn't really know why the girl had come to her.

"So, why did you come here in the first place?" Asami eventually asked to break that uncomfortable silence.

"I wanted to know if you are angry at me…" the little girl said, looking at her feet and playing with her fingers behind her back.

"Isolina, do you really think I could be angry at you?" the green-eyed woman asked with a soft voice.

"I don't know… You went all serious and silent…"

"Isolina, I'm not angry at you. I just don't know why you didn't tell me. Do you not trust me?"

Isolina shook her head, indicating that it was not the problem.

"Then why?" she asked again.

"My parents told me not to," the young girl hemmed and hawed.

"Ah, okay…" she answered, astonished.

Those much talked about parents… who didn't want their girl to go out, and who had hidden her bending too… But what were they so afraid of? If the Fire Nation were not that peaceful, she would have thought that Ozai had returned! But there was no one more informed than Korra and herself about the world's businesses, and there was no tyrant who exterminated benders, or put them to jail to this day. So what could that mysterious reason be?

"Do you know why they didn't want you to tell people?" Asami asked, curious.

"It's dangerous."

"Dangerous? You've already said that once. What's dangerous? What were they trying to protect you against?"

"Mean people…"

"Mean people, huh?" the young woman repeated, skeptical.

Isolina nodded, her eyes still glued to the floor. Asami put her head on her arms, which were lying on the edge of the bathtub.

"You're not telling me the whole truth, are you?" she spoke again.

Isolina didn't respond. She took it for an agreement.

"It's part of the things you don't want to talk to me about," Asami continued. "Do you think you'll tell me about them someday?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe is fine enough then."

She would wait. She didn't know how long, but she would wait. Isolina was her little mystery. And it was certainly a long path which led to the resolution, but they would walk along this way together and at the same pace. And someday, they would reach the end of this path, or maybe they would find another one to explore…

* * *

 **A/N: Was the reading good? I hope you'll leave me a comment! Thanks to everyone, seriously. I'll try to come back with a new chapter as soon as possible!**

 **See you!**

 **Lion**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hi!**

 **It's been a little while, right? So, here I am, a month later. Since it's almost Christmas, that's my little gift (unfortunately, not a really happy chapter, and without anything about winter and partying, but I'm just following my plan xD). As you see, it's a pretty long chapter, and I hope there is not many mistakes! I'm not very pleased with the result, and I would have liked to work a bit more on it, but I wanted to post it before Christmas, so yeah x)**

 **I don't plan on publishing regularly right now. As ever, I'll try to give you another chapter as soon as possible ;)**

 **Merry Christmas to you all, have a great beginning for the new year, with joy and all of that! (I'm not good with wishes xD)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Achoo!"

Isolina wiped her nose with the sleeve of her pajamas, after having sneezed for the tenth time this morning.

Asami, who was sitting on her bed next to her, held a tissue to her nose and asked her to blow. She put a pale hand on the little girl's forehead at the same time, observing that it was radiating heat.

"I think, you have a fever..." she said, a little worried.

The little girl only blew, and, once the tissue was withdrawn, wiped the end of her nose with her sleeve once again, sniffing a little before sneezing again.

Asami sighed, putting the fifth tissue away.

"Okay... No work for today. I'm not taking you there, neither am I leaving you here by yourself. Really, Korra has wonderful ideas," the CEO grunted.

She was pretty sure Isolina got sick because of their walk in the rain the day before, especially because Korra had soaked them to the skin.

"I'm sorry..." Isolina murmured, lowering her gaze and sniffing again.

"Oh, it's not your fault, sweetie," the soft-eyed woman said. She took her in her arms and kissed her forehead. "Don't be sorry, okay? You just have to focus on getting better."

"Okay..."

"So, stay in your bed. I'll bring you something to eat after I give a call to my office. Do you think you can handle it?"

"I'm not thaaat sick," Isolina whined, with her nasal voice, and slightly pouting, crossing her arms and sniffing afterwards.

"I know you're not," Asami answered, asking her to blow in another tissue, which she did; "I just want to make sure you're okay."

She kissed her another time on her forehead, and left the room, but not without glancing one last time at Isolina, leaving reluctantly.

She went downstairs, meeting Korra then.

"How is she?" the blue-eyed woman asked, concerned.

"Sick, thanks to you. Were you even thinking yesterday?"

"Come on, Asami, you're not fair. I didn't know she would get sick. You're not really angry, right?"

"I could be..." she sighed. "Could you just keep her company while I call Lu?"

"Sure!"

"Maybe you'll be late to see Tenzin..."

"I'm already late. I don't mind."

Then, she vanished to Isolina's room.

Asami shook her head. Maybe if Lu really needed her, Korra could stay instead of her. She was not really sure that the public opinion would be very pleased, though.

Ultimately, Korra's job was more important than hers, even though one might disagree. If something ever happenned, the CEO would have to be the one who would be relayed at the rank of housewife. And that would weight on her company. But that didn't matter to people. Of course, the balance of the world was more important.

However, over the years, economy had also taken an important part in the maintain of balance. And without Future Industries, lots of people could end up jobless, and, as a consequence, without any income, which would not help the balance of the world. Becoming needy, these people would most likely get desperate and, consequently, end up doing incontrollable deeds, which could cause lots of problems.

That was why neither of them could neglect their work. The world was different from what it was at Wan's time. Balance didn't only concern the Avatar; their society couldn't count on Korra alone. They were too many people, and that number was increasing. Republic City alone was giving Korra a lot of work, and that was just when she didn't go elsewhere to settle a crisis.

Stopping her reflections, she finally reached for the phone and dialed Lu's phone number. True to his duty, her assistant answered as soon as the phone rang:

"Lu? It's Asami," she stated.

"Oh! Boss! How come you're not at work? You're already at a meeting somewhere?"

"Hum... No... I... Well, I don't think I can come today."

"Oh, okay. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah... But Isolina is sick. I can't leave her alone in here."

"Alright. Take good care of your daughter then!"

"She's not my!... Whatever..." she sighed. "Just call if you need me. I hope I'll be back tomorrow."

"There is no rush, honestly. You have a few things to sign, but beside that... we took care of everything."

"You're effective..."

"We would work more if you didn't do everything by yourself, Miss Sato."

"I'm not just a paper-signer, you know..."

"I know, I know. Now go."

"I'll try to stop by in the afternoon."

"As you please," he sighed.

They said their good-byes and hung up. Then, the CEO went to Isolina's room.

She met Korra again there, who had made sure the little girl lay down. She was at the time talking calmly to her and Isolina looked like she was listening to her passively.

"Hey," Asami interrupted.

"Hey," Korra answered, turning to her. "Did everything go okay?"

"Sure. You can go. I know you have things to do."

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

"You don't think I can handle a sick child?"

"No. It's just if you two want some company."

"Aren't you already late?"

"I guess... I could be sick too."

"Korra, you're an adult. Don't use such an excuse when it is obviously not valid. You're too old for that."

"Fine, fine! I'll get going, then."

She kissed quickly Asami, and then Isolina on her forehead.

"Get better soon, little puppy," she said, tenderly, while her hand was going imperceptibly through the black curls.

The girl made a weak smile, and the Avatar left, walking a bit half-heartedly, but vaguely decided to finish her day in order to come back the soonest possible.

"I forgot your breakfast," Asami noticed, once she was left alone with the little girl. "Do you want anything particular?"

"Something hot."

"Is your throat hurting?"

"A bit."

"Okay, I'll get you hot milk. I'll be back soon. Stay in your bed, okay?"

Isolina nodded. Asami went to the kitchen, and after a few minutes she went back to Isolina's room, with the much talked abouthot milk and something to eat.

By the time she came back, Isolina was dozing off.

"You should eat a little, before sleeping," Asami advised. "It'll help you get better."

Isolina hummed lightly, burying herself more under the covers.

"Come on, sweetheart," Asami said, shaking gently the girl's shoulder.

The blue-eyed girl grumbled and eventually agreed to sit onto her bed. The green-eyed woman made her eat a little, even though she wasn't really hungry. She made sure she drank some hot milk with honey for her throat. When she finished, Isolina buried herself under the covers again.

"I'm cold," the little girl said, shuddering.

She then coughed.

"I don't like that..." Asami said, grimacing. "Maybe I should have asked Korra to stay... She could help you better than I."

She caressed the girl's hair once. Soon, Isolina was asleep again, breathing noisily.

Asami sighed. She was going to let her sleep. What could she do meanwhile? She couldn't leave the house, she couldn't really work, and she was too worried to think about anything beside Isolina.

So, she decided to go to the library. She sought a book which could help her soothing the little girl's illness, maybe heal her, but without any bending it could take several days. She spent a few hours, tackled the task. She only stopped when her stomach told her she was hungry.

Then, she went to see Isolina. The blue-eyed girl was still asleep. Should she wake her up so that they could eat together? At least, she wasn't suffering while sleeping. Besides, it was very likely that she wasn't hungry yet. That was why she decided to leave her alone to sleep, and to eat by herself.

She smiled when she noticed that it felt weird for her to eat alone. Recently, Isolina was always with her and she easily missed her presence. It was both sad and moving… Really, she had been used too much to the child and she couldn't even imagine let her go…

She decided to stop thinking about this, and to stay in the present moment: it was where it hurt the less, although Isolina's health wasn't exceptionally well.

So, after having finished eating, she took a book, and read in Isolina's bedroom, so she could look after her. A few minutes later, the girl woke up. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat.

"Are you feeling any better?" Asami asked, almost feverishly.

"I'm not sure..." the girl responded, yawning.

As if it were to answer, she started coughing. Asami watched, saddened, the little girl who was coughing her lungs; she sighed lightly.

"It doesn't look like it," she said, a bit annoyed.

"Can I go out of the bed now? I've been in it all day..."

"I know, sweetheart, but do you really feel like it?"

"I'm not that sick!"

"Okay, okay," she capitulated, reluctantly, not wanting to contradict the girl. "You can do whatever you want. It's up to you."

Isolina nodded, and almost jumped out of the bed because of excitation. However, she went a little too fast and started being dizzy for a few seconds. Asami stabilized her, looking her right into her blue eyes. She wasn't going to ask her if she was really sure of herself, because she was quite certain Isolina could start being tired of her being overly worried, but she wasn't going to let her go that easily either.

Isolina nodded, meaning that the green-eyed woman could let go. Asami released her. Isolina didn't care going anywhere in particular. She just wanted to go outside her room. And she did.

The young woman felt compelled to follow her immediately. However, she didn't, and decided to open the window, so that some fresh air could come in. Then, she joined Isolina who was looking through a window in the living-room.

"What are you doing?" Asami asked, curious.

"Just looking at the outside..." she answered.

"Do you want to go out?"

She shook her head.

"Not now," she added to her gesture.

"What do you want to do then?"

"I'm not sure..."

"How about a shower? You might wash away your illness, who knows?"

"It really works?"

"Maybe, maybe not. It sure helps."

"Okay..."

Thus, Isolina headed to the shower, after Asami told her to call her if she needed her.

After that, the young girl started feeling sleepy and dizzy again. The CEO put her to bed once more. She told her to sleep, but the young girl didn't want to. Then, as Asami was caressing her and talking to her with a certain softness, she ended up falling asleep again.

The pale-skinned woman let her hand wander on the girl's forehead: it was even hotter. She found it more and more urgent that Korra came back home. The sooner it was, the better. She was starting to feel a bit overly worried, as it was stronger and stronger. Maybe she should take her to a healer?

She shook her head. No need for drastic measures. She'd just have to wait. But maybe she could wait a little bit less if she found Korra first. Besides, she hadn't called the police for a few days: she might as well do that at the same time.

She left Isolina's room to call to Lin. While on the phone, she learnt that Korra was not with the chief of police. She grunted, frustrated.

She then was updated on the development of Isolina's case. Actually, there was no development. She asked for the other children, and Lin told her that it was still very complicated with some of them, and that psychiatrists were working with the latter.

"Maybe we could provide a psychological help for Isolina, if there is any need for it," Lin proposed.

"I don't think it's a good idea... She's fine with us," Asami answered, on the defensive.

"Is this the CEO talking, or the loving woman?"

"I don't want to scare her off!" the young woman defended, understanding right away what the investigator was implying. "She opens up. She doesn't need unfamiliar things to bump into her life."

"Right... I'm not sure it was a good idea to entrust you with that girl, after all."

"Why? You're afraid I'd beat her?" Asami said with irony.

"No. I'm afraid you won't give her back to her parents," the chief of police seriously answered, with a dead ton of voice.

Asami grinded her teeth. Exactly what she wanted to avoid. It was out of the question that whoever thought something like that: it was absolutely and completely wrong!

"I'll do it. Once we find them," she assured. "I wouldn't call that often, otherwise."

"Well, you see, that's something I don't really know... Are you really calling so that you can give her back to her parents the soonest possible, or are you calling to make sure she stays with you for a few more days? Interesting, isn't it?"

"I said I'll give her back, so I'll to it," Asami said rapidly, upset because of Lin's question. "Anyway, if you see Korra, tell her to come home. And if you don't, then I'll wait."

"Fine."

"Bye," the CEO said, a bit shortly, before hanging up.

She grunted, and then got up to go to Isolina's room, while thinking.

Maybe Lin was right, maybe she was not calling for Isolina anymore. Maybe she just wanted her to stay. To stay with her, to stay with Korra, to stay with them, as a family.

When had she lost so much control of the situation? One could say since the beginning, since she saw her in that street that day, since she had been touched by this new youngness fighting with the pain of the world.

While she was watching Isolina, she let these thoughts wander and asked herself: "would I be a good mother for her?" However, as soon as the question crossed her mind, she violently rejected it and swore it would never happen again. She had no right to wonder about that. Her parents. That was all that mattered. And she was not one of them.

As she was pondering, Isolina started to move, with abrupt and light moves and little plaintive grunts. Asami suddenly woke up. She got closer to Isolina.

She didn't know what was troubling the little girl, whether it was the fever, or one of her regular nightmares. The only thing she knew was that something had to be done, and it wasn't her for the time being missing parents who were going to fulfill their responsibilities, but her: the only one who was really there for her.

"Hey, hey, sweetie, it's okay. It's okay," Asami soothed, with a gentle caress.

After a few seconds of sweet words and caresses, Isolina started to calm down.

"Everything is going to be fine," she spoke again. "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you ever again..."

She continued her soothing movements, watching Isolina sleeping. She didn't move until Korra came home, half-opening the door of the little girl's bedroom, because she figured her wife was very much likely to be there.

She wasn't wrong. And she watched both of them for a little while, noticing Asami's soft and worried face.

"Asami," she then murmured.

The latter turned around and smiled. She carefully got outside the room, without making any noise, and closed the door, very slowly, when getting out.

"Hi," Asami smiled.

"How is she?" Korra asked, low.

"She says it could be worse, but she's not good at all. She has a fever. A bad one. She slept all day, and when she's awake she says she is cold. I managed to make her have a shower, but I think it made things worse... Do you think you can do something?"

"Well, if you think it's bad enough to use waterbending, then I'll heal her. Which is not an excuse to take her to work tomorrow."

"Of course not! I would never risk it!" Asami lost her temper, as if Korra had called her a reckless idiot.

"Okay, okay!" she soothed, holding her hands up in surrender. "I was just making sure. I could stay tomorrow, if you want."

"You can?"

"Yep. I didn't know if you would be able to stay one more day. You know, with your work and all of that..."

"I would have stayed if I needed to. But... I'm not really of any help, so it would make more sense if you stayed instead of me. I guess my company is waiting for me anyway."

"We'll talk about that later. Should we wake Isolina up?"

"I don't know..."

"How long has she been sleeping?"

"A few hours, I guess. She didn't stay awake long. But I guess she needs to rest."

"I'll heal her, and she'll rest afterwards. I think it's better."

"Okay. I'll wake her up."

She got back to Isolina's room, and gently shook her shoulder.

"Mmmm..." Isolina uttered, without even opening her eyes.

"Sorry to wake you up. Korra's home, and I think she can help you feel better. Do you want to try?"

"Okay..."

"Okay, come on. Let's go to the bathroom."

Isolina got out of the bed, all sleepy, under the gaze of the young woman. She started to follow Asami, rubbing her hands to her eyes and yawning. It made her have a never-ending fit of coughing again.

With all the tenderness in the world, the young woman took the little girl in her arms to bring her in the bathroom.

They came across Korra, whose eyes softened seeing the little girl almost falling asleep on Asami's shoulder. Indeed, she certainly was really tired and sick.

All three of them reached the bathroom and got in. Immediately, Asami took care of the water, and she asked Isolina to undress. The girl didn't protest and started taking off her clothes, as Korra was telling her wife that tepid water, even cold water, would help her better to bring the fever down.

After that, like Asami, she focused on watching the water filling the bathtub, since she feared Isolina would feel uneasy if she felt like they were watching her undressing.

However, out of the corner of her eyes, the Avatar could see that she was undressing. And she thought she saw something else… Something a lot more disturbing, which forced her to look at the little girl's naked back more closely.

"What the?..." she started, frowning.

Asami heard her, and turned around, seeing the puzzled face the brown-skinned woman was making, as she was intensely staring at the little girl's back.

"What?" the CEO asked, more curious than really worried.

The Avatar only nodded at the greatly-pale back. Asami frowned, and they exchanged: Korra took care of the water, and Asami got closer to Isolina.

She kneeled down, and blinked a few times, her mouth opening lightly, as she faced a reality she had never thought of. Without even realizing it, her hand got closer to the young girl's skin, until her fingers brushed against it.

Feeling the freshness of the young woman's fingers, Isolina little girl, who was still dizzy because of her illness and a little sleepy, hadn't paid any attention to the conversation that Korra and Asami had had; she had just looked straight forward and took her clothes off.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Asami apologized, having felt the light quiver of the young girl and her sudden tensing. "I just... What... Did something happen to your back?"

Isolina frowned, confused.

"What do you mean?" the girl asked, after a few seconds, incapable of understanding the green-eyed woman's question.

"You have..." Asami spoke again, hesitantly, as the words remained stuck in her throat.

She traced with her hands those weird drawings on the little girl's back, following the continuous red lines which damaged this pure and immaculate skin. Isolina shuddered.

"... scars..." she finally whispered.

As she realized what she had just said, she stopped talking and her hand stopped moving.

A flow of questions rushed through her. Were they really scars? Scars from what? What had happened? Had someone done that to her? Who could possibly do that to a child? Were her parents involved?

But only one crossed her lips.

"Isolina, what happened?"

For a long moment, there was no answer, and only silence filled the room.

"I..." Isolina started, but soon the two women noticed that nothing followed this only word.

Asami usually didn't want to rush the girl, compel her to say anything, but this time... This time she was terribly scared. So, she made her turn around and looked her deeply in her blue and lost eyes.

"Isolina," she said firmly, holding her little shoulders, "what happened? Did someone do that to you?"

Isolina only stared at her, not moving. Actually, she was looking at her weirdly, as if she was actually not seeing her, as if she was rather looking at her own mind dancing with distant memories and thoughts.

"I... I don't know," she eventually articulated slowly, completely lost.

Asami frowned.

She didn't know… What that was supposed to mean? How could she not know that she had scars on her back? or how they ended up there?

"O-Okay..." she said, exchanging a lost look with Korra.

They'd talk about that later. For now, the only thing that mattered was that Isolina got better.

"Go in the bath then," she ordered.

Going toward the bathtub, Isolina immersed one of her feet in it, before withdrawing it suddenly.

"It's cold!" she complained.

Actually, it was more tepid than really cold, but it certainly felt really cold to her.

"I know, Isolina," Korra said. "But it'll help bring your fever down. It won't last long, but I need you to get in this water."

The little girl stared at the Avatar for long seconds, and then started to immerse herself in the water, not without an abrupt and violent shuddering from her whole body.

"Ok, lie down," the blue-eyed woman ordered. "Let's get rid of this evil illness!" she added once it was done.

She moved her arms in circles above the water and it started glowing.

"It's less cold now..." Isolina said, with a sleepy voice as she was dozing off.

"I know," Korra said, continuing her movements.

She looked at Asami, who was deeply thinking, and indicated her to hold Isolina, as she feared she might fall asleep and fall into the water.

The green-eyed woman thought it was a good idea, and held Isolina's shoulders while she was healing.

For ten minutes, Korra worked hard on the little girl. The latter fell deeply asleep as the waterbending made her feel a deep interior peace, like wrapped in a warm and comforting cocoon.

Ending the healing process, the Avatar eventually put a glowing hand, which was covered with water, on the little girl face to free her nasal canals. After that, the latter took a deep breath, as if she hadn't had breathed for a hundred year.

"She's really tired," Korra said, getting rid of the water and drying the little girl in the process. "Her body wasn't ready to face that. Let's put some clothes on her and put her to bed some more."

And they did.

But as they were putting her to bed, Isolina woke up just a little to say:

"I want to learn that."

"What do you want to learn?" Asami softly asked, not understanding what the little girl meant.

"Healing. I want to learn how to heal people…"

"We'll try that tomorrow if you feel well enough," Korra promised. "So, sleep well, little puppy."

Korra didn't need to repeat it, because Isolina drifted off to a deep sleep a few seconds after that.

The two women got out of the room, finding themselves alone. Well, alone with their troubled thoughts. Both were thinking about what they had seen on Isolina's back, but neither of them voiced their thoughts, until Korra finally spoke:

"What do you think happened?"

"Obviously, she didn't do it herself… I'm more worried by the "who" did that to her…"

"Why? You think it could be her parents?"

"I don't know… But from what we know it's not impossible. But who would do that to their own child?"

"Well, you know, there are a bunch of crazy people out there… But she doesn't seem terrified when we talk of her parents, so I'm a bit skeptical."

"Then, who? What happened to her? It looked like someone flogged her! She's only five! Five, Spirits! How could this have happened?"

"Hey, calm down. It's done, we can't do anything about it."

"And you don't mind?" Asami, who would have been able to strangle her wife and her seemingly indifference at that exact moment, exclaimed.

"No, it's not that. I just don't see the point of making a fuss about it _right_ _now_. It's not going to stop these people."

"I'll go see Beifong tomorrow," the CEO affirmed. "She has to know that. These people, whoever they might be, need to be arrested."

"As long as Isolina doesn't talk, she can't do anything and you know it."

"We have to at least signal it." She grunted, "I hate them!"

"You really don't like when we do anything to the ones you love."

"Who does?!"

Korra laughed, facing the so not-calm behavior of her wife. She, who usually kept a cool head and always prevented her to lose her temper because of whatever reason, it seemed that whenever it concerned Isolina, she lost her usual serenity.

"You're right," the blue-eyed woman admitted. "But you're particularly… aggressive."

"Oh, because you're not? You're even worst. Should I recall you when…"

As the green-eyed woman was going to list all the times when the Avatar had sincerely lost her temper—which was sometimes justified, and other times not really—when the members of the Team Avatar, more specifically Asami, found themselves threatened, Korra interrupted her, admitting her defeat:

"Alright, alright! You got me! No need to do that."

Asami stuck her tongue out, as a child, delighted to be right.

"You're just like a child," Korra said, rolling her eyes. "I think Isolina starts rubbing off on you."

"Well, at least, _I_ was mature someday," Asami teased, with a detached tone, while watching out for her wife's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey! That's not fair! I am mature! I'm very much mature!"

"That's what you say," Asami said, smirking and starting leaving.

"Asami, take back what you just said! Right now!" Korra ordered, starting following her with a firm and determined pace.

"Huhu."

They both started running, laughing, making a racket, and teasing each other.

This day, they had learnt something horrible and terrifying. So, they just put it to the back of their mind as they played their little game. The next day, they would worry about this, but for now… for now, Isolina was asleep, and they just needed to forget a bit.

Yes, the next day, Asami would go see Beifong, and she would have to remember that the little girl she loved the most had a dark past she was not sure she wanted to know about. But she had to. She had to know if her parents were good for her. Because she would never— _never—_ let her in presence of people who could harm her. And she would always seek her happiness.

* * *

 **A/N: If you have a little of time, why won't you leave a review? If not, thank you for reading anyway. Many thanks to the readers who are there since the beginning and continue following this story! And for the reviews, which always make me feel better :D**

 **Also, a big thanks to the guest who posted the last review and gave me the motivation to finish this chapter! I hope you'll keep enjoying the journey! ;)**

 **See you soon!**

 **Lion**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hi, everyone! Long time no see!**

 **I'm sorry it took so long. Here is a new chapter! As I was saying to French people, I'm currently unable to go back to the regular posting, but I'll try to post once a month, ok? More or less. I'm doing my best, and I'm sorry it's so slow. I'm currently writing chapter 14, but the ones before can't be posted because I have to write on paper, and because of other things.**

 **Anyway, enjoy this long chapter with more revelations concerning Isolina!**

 **Ah, and sorry for any mistake that I missed. As ever xD**

 **See you at the end!**

* * *

"Asami! Asami! I'm not sick anymore! Can we go out now?"

The young woman lightly emerged from her sleep, hearing the girl's little voice. What time was it?

Isolina was almost jumping on the CEO's bed, excited. The green eyes hardly opened. She didn't answer immediately, and Isolina wondered whether she was awake or not.

She got her face closer to hers, with a careful curiosity, not noticing the young woman's lips slightly curving to form a light smile. And when the little girl's face was so close to hers that she could feel her breath on her pale cheek, Asami quickly opened her eyes and suddenly moved forward, shouting a "wah!"

Isolina was thrown into panic and had a sharp move back: she jumped out of the bed and protected herself by putting abruptly her arm before her face, with a sudden gesture, which was almost violent.

Due to the sudden movement, the bottle of water on Korra's night table flew to Asami's head. Fortunately, the young woman caught it just before it hit her. But no sooner had she sized the object that she released it: it was so hot!

Luckily, the water had remained in the bottle. If not, she would certainly have been scalded, with a high possibility of keeping scars for the rest of her life.

"Wow; be careful," Asami complained, shaking her hand, as if to cool it off.

Isolina was looking at her, terrified by what she had just done. Her eyes began to water instantly and she buried her head into her arms, which were resting onto her knees, in a fetal position.

Observing that her little joke had turned bad, and seeing Isolina's reaction, Asami felt overwhelmed by a wave of guilt. But, not allowing herself to mope around, she walked on all four to the young child in order to sooth her and to fix her mistakes.

"Hey, I'm sorry. Come here," she said sweetly.

Even if Isolina didn't move, she took the little girl in her arms, hugged her tight, and put her head on hers. She caressed her slowly.

"I'm sorry, Isolina. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

The little girl sniffed, and remained silent for a moment. Asami hugged her tight, her heart soaking in the little girl's tears. Seconds elapsed: she was only hearing sadness and her own heart which was torn because of it. Then, she heard through muffled tears:

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

At first, Asami struggled to understand what she was talking about, only remembering her own fault. Then she remembered the bottle of water that almost knocked her out, and she understood better why Isolina was so upset.

"Hey, it's okay. It's okay, you didn't hurt me," she reassured. "It was an accident."

"Bending is the worst… It's dangerous. I want to be like you," Isolina said, looking up at Asami with her watery and pleading eyes.

The young woman was sincerely moved by what the little girl had said, not because she had said she wanted to be like her, but because she was so uncomfortable with who he was, with that gift she was given when she was born. It saddened her.

"It doesn't work like that, sweetie," Asami said, cupping her wet cheek.

"It'd like it to be another way, then. I don't want to hurt you…"

"Isolina, you won't," Asami firmly said.

"It's dangerous. I'm dangerous…"

"Listen, Isolina, you're so young… You can't hope completely mastering your element… Maybe you just need a little bit of training. Then, it'll be better."

"I don't want to."

"Even if you didn't hurt anyone after?" the green-eyed woman tempted.

Isolina stared at the young woman, pondering.

"I don't know," she finally uttered.

"How about we talk about it to Korra when she comes back home? She'll be able to help you better than I."

Isolina shrugged and hugged the CEO, burying her heard into her black curly hair.

"We'll ask her tonight," she resumed.

Then, she just kept calming the little girl down, so that she regained her composure, by dispensing her caresses and gentle words.

They ended up both lain, under the covers, Isolina lightly dozing off as Asami was playing with her raven hair.

Far from wanting to interrupt that moment, the green-eyed young woman still let out a little sigh, inaudible, in anticipation of what she was going to ask.

"Isolina... I need you to do something for me," Asami said, calmly.

The sentence suddenly made Isolina wake up: she stood up immediately to look deeply into the young woman's green eyes.

"Sure!" the little girl shouted, enthusiastic.

She smiled proudly from ear to ear, happy to be able to do something for the young woman.

Asami's eyes blurred with sweetness and anguish, as she was anticipating the conversation. She made Isolina sit in her lap and kept playing with her hair, in order to preserve this comfortable atmosphere she had settled. But she knew it was not going to be enough. She knew the girl wouldn't like what she was going to ask. But she needed to.

"I want to go see the police," she stated, "and I need you to show your back to them."

Isolina frowned, wary.

"Why?" she asked, a bit on the defensive.

"They have to investigate. The people who did that to you have to be arrested."

Isolina shrugged, as if she didn't care.

"Isolina, this is serious," Asami spoke again, a little more seriously, looking the little girl straight into the eyes. "Do you know who did that to you?"

The little girl shook her head.

"How... How did it happen?"

The little girl looked elsewhere.

"Isolina, I need you to talk to me," Asami insisted, taking her head between her hands.

"I can't..."

"Tell me just one thing..."

She stopped talking for a few seconds, afraid of both the question and the answer.

"... Your parents are not involved, right?" she finally tried, with a grimace.

Isolina shook her head, not taking offense of the question.

Asami sighed, relieved.

"Good."

At least, Isolina's parents weren't monsters. Except if Isolina lied to her, which would explain why she was so reluctant as to going to see the police. Or maybe she was just ashamed of the scars... Which could be another option.

"Isolina, would you agree to go see the police? I can't ask them to investigate without your consent."

The girl vaguely stared at her. She didn't know whether she wanted to agree or not. Actually, she was troubled.

Asami sighed and hugged her.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I know it makes you uncomfortable, but... you know the mean people you talk about?"

She sensed Isolina nodding against her chest.

"The only way we have to make them stop is to find them in order for them to be arrested. And for that you need to stand out against them and to show what they did to you. You can protect others, Isolina. If we go see the police, they could find them so that these criminals don't hurt other children."

Isolina raised up her head, looking at Asami's green eyes.

"I want to help others."

"Then, come with me. Let's go to the police."

Isolina nodded. Asami smiled. Deep down, she felt a bit guilty for "tricking" the little girl. But was there even a choice?

She couldn't let those monsters free when they harmed, even tortured, Isolina.

If she listened to herself, she would find them herself and make them suffer from what Isolina had suffered because of them.

But she had not the right to do that, and justice was the only thing that could settle this situation.

Eventually, they went to the police station. But before they entered, the green-eyed woman kneeled down at Isolina's level.

"I know, I asked you to come here, but I need you to be sure," she said.

She was starting to feel unsure. Maybe she was putting her through too much. She was only five after all, disoriented and lost, an orphan she had found wandering in the streets.

Maybe she should only support her and forget about everything else. But the proud and determined look she saw on Isolina's face made her doubts vanish.

"I'm sure," she said. "I want to help."

Asami's eyes softened.

"You're such a good girl," she said, kissing her on the cheek.

Isolina chuckles.

"Come on, let's go."

The young child extended her arms and the CEO chuckled taking her in her arms and kissing her.

"I love you," Asami confessed.

Isolina quickly kissed her on the cheek and hugged her. The young woman smiled and entered the police station. She asked for Lin, and the secretary, who was starting to know her, obliged.

"What an honor," the grumpy, old woman said as she was arriving.

"I need to talk to you. Privately," the CEO said with a serious tone.

The chief of police frowned. Usually, the young CEO was not that direct with her. Something terrible must have happened, and Lin got worried.

"Alright. In my office. Now," she ordered with authority, despite her turmoil.

They entered the office. Asami sat down on a chair and Lin closed the door behind them. Then, she settled down too.

"So?" she asked expectantly, as Asami was staring at Isolina who nodded.

"I need you to open a new case," she finally asked.

"Really? About what?"

The younger woman looked at Isolina, her green eyes looking apologetic.

"May I?" she asked.

The little girl nodded and let her lift her shirt, delicately.

The chief of police was first confused about Asami's behavior, and ended up completely astonished at what she was seeing.

"What's that?" she asked to make sure she wasn't dreaming—or rather that she was not having a nightmare.

"Scars," Asami stated.

The chief of police didn't let herself feel taken aback and said:

"Photos must be taken."

Asami looked at Isolina to have her agreement.

"Are you okay with that?"

The little girl hesitated but eventually nodded. The young woman kept the little girl in her arms as they walked to another room, guided by the chief of police.

There, she ordered everyone to get out so that she could stay alone with the young woman and the child.

"Take off your shirt," Lin ordered.

Isolina was a bit unsure, but, encouraged by Asami, she took off her clothes, finding herself half naked.

She gave her shirt to the young woman who was smiling softy at her. The little girl put her arms before her chest to cover herself as the chief of police asked her to stand close to a wall in order for her to take pictures of her lacerated back.

When they were done, Isolina was able to put her clothes back on, and Lin led them back to the office. They all sat down, and the chief of police put her investigator face on. She asked the same questions Asami had and there was no more answer:

"So... how did this happen?"

Isolina stayed silent, that same odd and lost look on her face.

"Isolina..." Asami pleaded.

The girl looked at her with these intense blue eyes of hers.

She hopped out of the chair to climb up to Asami's lap. She hugged her and hid her face to the young woman's chest. The latter caressed the young girl's hair, troubled.

She looked at Lin who was wearing a confused expression. The CEO nodded at her, indicating that she could continue.

"Okay... Do you know who did that to your back?" Lin asked.

The girl tightened her grip on the young woman's coat. The latter kept caressing her slowly.

"Isolina," the older woman started again, softer than Asami had ever seen her, "I know it must be hard for you. Grown-ups come to see me and they are terrified when they talk about what happened to them. But I need you to be braver than them. You must tell me what happened to you."

Isolina shook her head and Lin frowned. And she started her questions again:

"When?"

"I don't know," the young girl muttered.

"Ok, who?"

"I don't know..."

"You didn't see them?"

She shook her head.

"Where did it happen?"

"I don't know. Somewhere..."

"Can you describe it?"

"It's dark..."

"Dark... Nothing more? Noises? Anything?"

She shook her head.

"How did these scars were done to you?"

"I'm not sure..."

"It looks like scars from a whip, would you say that was what they used?"

"Maybe..."

"Can you describe in which circumstances these scars were done?"

Isolina shook her head.

"Please, Isolina..." Asami pleaded, although she was starting to feel a certain unease that made her want to stop everything.

"It's dark. It's all dark..."

Her voice was trembling and she was clinging almost violently onto Asami, as if she was going to break into tears.

A bottle of water, set on the chief of police's desk, started shaking. The inspector looked at it, taken aback. Then, she looked up to Asami, who was also staring at the bottle. However, she looked worrier than surprised. Afterwards, she focused back on the young child, whispering to her:

"Isolina, calm down. Everything is alright, ok? It's ok, sweetie."

She kissed her on her head, and the young girl almost calmed down. The bottle of water kept shaking a little, but it looked that it was moving a bit less.

Noticing well the bond between the young girl's emotions and the bottle of water, Lin knew it was time to stop, and that going any further might perturb the young child.

She got up, saying as she was heading out of the room:

"Asami, outside... whenever you can."

The younger woman nodded, taking care of the girl, calming her down. It lasted several minutes, before the bottled stopped moving and that Isolina was willing to release her.

So, moments later, she was exciting the room, closing softly the door behind her. As soon as she was in sight, Lin accosted her.

"I'll insist once more, Asami, but I really think she should see someone," she said with a firm and unequivocal tone. "It was maybe not necessary before, but now her story is not only about her losing her parents. I don't know how, but she certainly was part of the Triade's organization and she escaped."

Asami grimaced; the idea intensely disgusted her.

"I don't know..."

"Asami..." Lin warned with a menacing tone, feeling a bit exasperated. "I know you want to protect her, but she could be unstable. She may have problems later on."

"I..." she thought. "Okay, but if it doesn't go well, she won't go again."

"What do you think could happen? She doesn't even talk!"

"She talks! There are just some topics she wants to avoid."

"But that's exactly the topics we need her to talk about!"

"She will. Eventually. You didn't give me enough time."

"It's been three weeks now. If she hasn't already talked, she never will."

"She opens up! She's already told us about her bending."

"You mean the thing that made the bottle move? A waterbender then… Anyway, whether she talks to you about that or not, it doesn't matter, because…"

"It does for her! For her, it matters a lot. She hid it to us so well that Korra had to use some ruses to make her confess. Which actually didn't work… But she explained to me why she needed to hide all of that from us. She just needs time and trust. She can talk to me, except that she's afraid of I don't know what. And I try hard to make her feel at ease. I'll manage it!"

Lin stared at her and recognized her fierce determination—a feature that Korra and her had in common—which made them terribly exasperating, because she couldn't do anything to make them change their mind. She ended up sighing.

"Fine," she abdicated. "Maybe she'll tell you. After all I don't know much about your relationship with her. However, it is not your job."

"I know," the young green-eyed woman sighed. "I know... I just think that she's more likely to tell me something that is so hard for her to say, than to some stranger. She's scared of people, she would be uncomfortable."

"Come on, you're not going to protect her all her life! You _can't_ protect her all her life. She needs to get used to people, Asami. Her parents and you are not the people she'll meet throughout her life!"

"I know, but it's too soon..."

"It's not too soon! It's too late! You need to do it now!"

The CEO gauged Lin with a gaze. She knew that the chief of police had heard her point of view, but she also wanted an appointment to be taken. It was her job after all, she certainly wouldn't be able to make her give up on this idea.

"Fine… I'll convince her, okay?"

"Good."

"When do you want to do that?"

"Tomorrow. In the afternoon. One of the appointments was cancelled."

"We'll be there. I guess. I'm going to tell her."

She opened the door and got back to Isolina, as Lin sighed. What a negotiation…

"Hey, sweetie," she said.

As soon as Isolina saw the young woman, she rushed toward her to hug her. Far from enjoying the embrace, Asami felt guilt rushing through her. How was Isolina going to take her "betrayal"?

"Isolina, I have something to tell you."

She kneeled down and looked the girl in the eyes.

"Lin…" she started, before correcting herself, "the chief of police thought it would be a good idea for you to see someone, so that you can talk about what happened."

"Why?" Isolina asked, curious.

"Because… Because this person will be able to help you."

"Help me?"

"Yes."

"To what?"

"They helped you to make peace with your past. They could help you with your nightmares! Don't you think it'll be a good thing?"

"Yes…" she answered, a bit wary. It earned a little grimace from the young green-eyed woman.

"Okay…"

There was a little heavy and tight silence, before Asami, not bearing it, started talking again.

"We'll go tomorrow in the afternoon. Is… Do you think it'll be okay?"

Isolina shrugged, not looking at her.

Asami started to be singularly afraid of this interview, and this fear would stay gripped to her stomach until the moment came.

She wanted to tell her they didn't have to, they could stay together, but she knew it wouldn't be reasonable. She had to put her feelings aside. That being, she felt nonetheless the need to comfort the girl.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. If you don't like it, we won't go again, I promise. You just have to try once."

The young girl calmly nodded.

"Let's go home."

She took the little girl in her arms and got out. She met Lin again and told her:

"We are leaving."

"Asami…" she sighed. Seeing the irritated face the pale-skinned woman was wearing.

But even if she had noticed well this try to talk again, the young woman ignored her and left.

* * *

In the middle of the afternoon, Korra came back home. As soon as she got back in, Asami went to see her and kissed her.

"You're home early," she noted.

"I wanted to check if our little puppy was alright," the Avatar justified.

"You can go ask her yourself."

She started climbing the stairs, but she didn't manage to reach Isolina's room because of a little tornado crashing into her.

"Korra!" the little girl shouted.

"Wow, Isolina! You sure look better!" the Avatar noted.

"Yes! I can play with Naga now!"

Korra laughed and took Isolina in her arms as she walked down the stairs.

"I'm sure she missed you a lot yesterday," she said with a smile, which reflected on the little girl's face.

Meeting Asami anew on the first floor, the young woman, who had heard the whole conversation, spoke:

"Before going to play with Naga, we should maybe talk to Korra about your bending, don't you think so?"

Isolina jumped from Korra's arms to Asami's.

"Something about bending?" the Avatar asked, interested. "I can certainly do something. Except removing it. I don't do that when there is no great threat."

Isolina's eyes widened because of this revelation.

"You can remove bending?" she was surprised.

"Yes…"

"But that's not what you wanted to say, Isolina, right?" Asami insisted.

The girl nodded, even though she still wanted to know more about the art of removing people's bending. After all, it joined her first purpose…

"I don't want to hurt Asami…" Isolina said, a bit sheepishly.

"Why would you hurt her?" Korra asked, frowning and confused.

"Well, she threw a bottle of water at my head this morning," Asami explained. "Without meaning to, of course. And she was so afraid that I told her that maybe you could help her. With training maybe she would master everything a bit better?"

"Oh, sure. We can do that now if you want!" the blue-eyed woman offered.

Asami looked at Isolina, seeing that she was a bit hesitant.

"It's up to you, sweetie."

"Okay…" she said a bit sadly, looking at the outside.

Korra understood immediately that the girl was divided between her desire to go play, and her desire to protect Asami from her. She ended up chuckling from this five-year old child's seriousness, thinking that she needed a bit of a break.

"You know what?" the Avatar said. "You go play with Naga for a few minutes, and then I'll come get you and we'll train a bit. Do you think you'd like that?"

"Yeah!"

She jumped out of Asami's arms and ran to Naga, who greeted her with a bark. Asami smiled, shaking her head, and Korra chuckled, as the animal and the child were leaving to share moments of joy and playfulness.

"She really gets along well with Naga," the Avatar smiled.

"Yes, it's beautiful to see…"

"I have another beautiful thing in my sight…" Korra almost murmured, as she was getting closer to the green-eyed woman in order to finally kiss her on the neck.

The CEO let her do it, she even kissed her back when she kissed her on the lips. However, when the brown-skinned hands were starting being a little more adventurous, she slowed her down a bit:

"I have to go to my office," she stated.

" _Now_?" Korra whined, exasperated.

"I've not been there for more than two weeks…"

"That's another reason for not going now! They can wait."

"Maybe. But I know what you want, and we can't right now because someone has to watch Isolina. You could do that while I go to my office."

"Or, we can cuddle on the couch!"

"There is never only cuddling with you…"

"Absolutely not!"

"Ah, yeah, you're right. There is an exception: at the beginning of our relationship, when you were too afraid to touch me."

"I was not!"

"Oh, yes, you were, my little cute and blushing Avatar," she chuckled.

Korra grimaced a little because of the name, until Asami kissed her on the nose.

"I'll be back soon," she said.

"Can I, at least, have a proper kiss?"

Asami chucked again, and granted her a long and passionate kiss.

"I love you."

"Love you too."

And she left the mansion, leaving Korra with Isolina. The blue-eyed woman watched the little girl a bit from afar, for a while.

She smiled softly seeing Isolina throwing Naga's ball, and the polar-bear-dog getting it and coming back. She was happy for Naga, because it was true that she didn't always have the time to play with her, so she was definitely glad someone as kind and full of energy as Isolina spent time with her.

Afterwards, Isolina came to her, and asked if they could ride the polar-bear-dog together. Korra laughed and was pleased to grant her request.

It was like the first time they had ridden Naga together, except that this time, Isolina was not afraid and she was completely enjoying the ride: the air slipping on her face, the speed, the joy…

And Naga was really glad to make her have fun, so she made her best to go the fastest possible. Eventually, she got tired, and they had to stop, but only after having a great time together.

"Want to try some bending now?" Korra asked when they were back to the solid ground.

"Yes," Isolina replied.

It's going to be fun, Korra thought. Which, finally, was rather wide of the mark.

* * *

"Are you really here?" Lu asked, exasperated, when he saw his CEO in front of him.

"Where else would I be?" Asami asked, smirking.

"With your family for example! What are you even doing here? I told you everything was under control!"

"I just wanted to make sure. It's been a long time I last came."

"It has been only two weeks!"

"Two weeks and two days. But anyway. Where are these documents I had to see?"

"In your office," Lu sighed.

Asami abandoned him for a few seconds, entering her office, taking the documents, and getting out.

"That's all?" she asked, almost disappointed, waving three pieces of paper in the air.

"Are you even listening when I'm talking? I told you there was not much."

"Okay… Tell me about the news, then."

Lu sighed, but agreed, and started to tell her all about what had happened these past two weeks. And there was not much. In less than ten minutes, her assistant told her all she needed to know, and she observed that there was nothing important, or urgent, that requested her presence.

"I thought there would be more," Asami confessed.

Her assistant gave her a look that could have almost offended her, but she ignored him.

"I'm coming back tomorrow, with Isolina," she continued.

"Shouldn't she go to school or something? Not that it bothers me to have her here. It's just that normal children don't go to work with their parents…"

"Yeah… You are probably right… But… she's not a normal child."

However, she knew that Lu had made a point: she couldn't take Isolina to work with her forever. And if the situation were to be dragged on, she had to change that. But how? She was not her daughter. Did she even have the right to go to school with what was happening to her? Would she even agree to go? There were lots of questions to consider. She would have to talk to Korra about them.

"Anyway," she said, getting back to the conversation, "tomorrow, I'll have to take Isolina to the police station in the afternoon."

"I don't think it's going to be a problem."

"Alright. I'll get going then. See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow…"

Asami left, driving back to her mansion. She parked and got out of the car. She couldn't see Isolina nor Korra: they certainly were behind the house. Which would make sense, because Isolina wanted to hide her bending, and people could it see from the front.

They had left Naga, who was resting, under the shadow of a tree. Asami petted her a little, and the white animal affectionately licked her cheek. At least, with Asami, she was reasonable and didn't lick her whole face. But she was a bit more respected than Korra. Well, Naga was less close to her than to the Avatar, so she could be a little stricter. Korra was not capable of that. Naga was too much of a friend. Not that it was not Asami's friend too, or that she considered her as a vulgar animal, but their relationship was a bit different that was all. And both were content of it.

The green-eyed woman could have stayed with Naga a little bit more, if she hadn't heard Korra shouting. Raising swiftly her head, she saw her flying to fall harshly on the ground.

"Korra!" Asami shouted, feeling panic rushing through her.

She ran toward her wife, reaching her after Naga, who was as confused and worried as her. The polar-bear-dog was nuzzling her face, and the CEO was helping her to stand up.

"I'm alright, I'm alright," the Avatar assured, shaking her head.

She was actually feeling a bit dizzy, but she was not going to say that. Not that it could be left unnoticed, but…

"Are you sure?" Asami worried.

"Yeah, yeah."

"What happened?"

"I just was caught out of guard. Right, Isolina?"

Asami finally looked at the girl, who was a bit paler than usual, and looked afraid, or guilty, or something in-between. She only nodded.

"Let's just get inside," Asami sighed, feeling her emotions soothing.

She took Isolina's hand, only to notice it was trembling. She frowned. She didn't know what had happened, but there was something and she wanted to know what. She would ask Korra later on. Obviously, she didn't want to talk about it at that moment.

They lay in the couch for a while, the three of them, with Naga to their feet, who was sleeping.

Then, they ate, Korra caught up with Future Industries' news, and there was a relative silent, until Isolina went to bed.

After that, Korra and Asami were in their bedroom. The CEO had barely closed the door behind her when she asked:

"So? What really happened with Isolina? What were you doing with her?"

"Bending. As you asked."

"Ok… Tell me more about it?"

Korra sighed, and threw herself on the bed, before speaking again:

"We went behind the mansion, because she was afraid that people might see her. We started with basic exercises, but she was doing too well. I mean, she perfectly masters water. It takes any shape she wants, she can change the temperature, anything. So, I suggested we fought a little…"

"You what?" Asami almost shouted.

"Calm down! I was not going to hurt her!"

"I hope so! Did you even realize? It could have been extremely dangerous!"

"Yes! For me! She just sent me to the ground like a vulgar pebble!"

"She… You… You were not faking it?" Asami asked, astonished.

"No, I wasn't! Her waterbending is more powerful than mine! She attacked with a spurt of water, and I tried to make shield. She just went through it as if there was nothing."

"You gotta be kidding me. You were just going easy on her, weren't you?"

"No, Asami, I'm serious. I waterbent as if I were in a real fight, at least when it came to protect myself."

"So, you are telling me that the all-mighty Avatar was defeated by a five-year old kid?"

"I'm telling you that she may be one of the most powerful benders the world has ever seen."

Asami stared at her wife for a few seconds, trying to process what she had just said. She eventually sighed and threw herself on the bed, beside her. She looked at her, out of the corner of her eyes.

"Do you think she knows it?"

"I think her parents knew it, and they hid her because of that. Maybe they weren't even her parents… It would explain the scars."

"But you said she wasn't afraid of her parents, so they couldn't be the ones who did that to her!"

"Maybe they pretended being her parents, but they helped the others…"

"That would be completely twisted… And what would be that for?"

"You mean a child who has the power to destroy the Avatar? Yeah, what use could it have?" Korra snorted, ironically.

Asami sighed:

"Right… Why couldn't she have a simple life, like everyone else?"

"You mean everyone else beside you and I? Like mothers, like daughters?"

"Korra… Stop with that…"

"Well, if my theory is good, we are the closest persons who can be her parents. What if I'm right and she doesn't have reel parents? Would you abandon her?"

"No, of course not! But… it joins something Lu said…"

"What is it?"

"What are we going to do with her if she stays longer with us? I can't take her to work forever…"

"You mean you are planning on keeping her? For real?"

"Yes… I mean, no! It's just… We don't know how long it'll be… I just don't want her to be late on school, or I don't know what… She needs a normal life."

Korra didn't respond, and only hugged her.

"I love you. And I love Isolina. I think she could stay a little longer, or even forever, I don't mind. I could help her with bending, she could play with Naga, and she would be happy with you, with us."

"It doesn't work this way, Korra. We still have to find her parents. Maybe they are not that horrible. Maybe they truly are parents who want to protect their child. Maybe her future is to go back to them, not to stay with us. So don't build castles in the air."

"You just did!"

"I… No… I didn't."

"When will you stop fighting it?"

"Why don't you just stop thinking, like the usual?"

"That's not nice, Asami…"

"You are the one bothering me…"

"Well, Isolina is still a sensitive topic, I can see…"

"Good night."

"Good night," Korra sighed. "I didn't think of you as the fleeing type."

"I have a lot to think about, and I don't want to. So, I'll just sleep."

And indeed, there was a lot to think about, concerning Isolina: her past, her present, her future… Nothing was clear. Asami just wished it would make sense someday, and that she could save from whatever was dangerously gripped to her life.

* * *

 **A/N: So a little thought? You can write a review/comment to me! I know I don't post very often, but it does help going a little faster x) As long as you are still interested in this story, I'm happy :D**

 **Well, thanks for the reading anyway! See you in the next chapter, I hope!**

 **Lion**

* * *

 **Answer review:**

 **zebra1810** **:**

 **Hi, Zebra1810! Thanks for your review! You disabled the PMs, but I wanted to thank you anyway, so I hope you don't mind the message ;) I hope I'll see you in another chapter! Thank you very much!**


	12. Appointment

**A/N: Hi everyone!**

 **So, here's a new chapter! I'm only 2 days late! Well, my excuse is: I wasn't home for three days and I got really tired because of it, so it was kinda hard to post anything (and finish correcting).**

 **Speaking about correcting, I reread only once, so sorry for the mistakes. You can tell me if it's really bothering, and even if it's not: I'll be glad to correct.**

 **Thanks to anyone who follows the story, and especially for the ones who comment! I'll be glad to hear you again!**

 **Last thing: I actually hated this chapter when I wrote it, but I hope it makes more sense now. But since I don't want to spoil you, I'll tell you at the end.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day, Korra, Asami and Isolina did as usual. Korra left with Naga, and Asami and Isolina left for work. Before that, the young woman made sure she was okay and that is was not bothering her to come (but what else could she do anyway?), and Isolina assured her that everything was fine. However, she was a bit silent, dreading the interview that she would have in the afternoon. Something that the green eyed-woman dreaded too and maybe even more.

The day flew. Asami threw a few glances in Isolina's direction from time to time, and the latter played, or drew, interrupting sometimes the CEO in her work to have a little company. Not that it was bothering her; this way she could have nice breaks.

And then, at 2 p.m., they left for the police station. Lin was waiting for them, stamping. She was a bit worried that Asami would skip purposely the appointment. And when the young woman showed up, she felt actually immensely relieved.

She politely led them to a special room, at the end of a long and thin corridor. She let Isolina in, but stopped Asami when she tried to follow her. The green-eyed woman frowned and looked at Lin with an inquisitive look.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Are you sure you should go inside?" Lin said. "The psychologist will most certainly ask you to go out. It's better if he can talk alone with the patient."

"Then, I'll see that with him," she said, confident.

"Ok, ok," the police chief gave up quickly: she hadn't any desire of debating the matter. "Just saying, so that you don't slap him in the face."

"Who do you think I am exactly?"

"Asami Sato, a woman who is willing to fight for what she owns and the ones she loves. Am I wrong?"

"No, but that doesn't mean I'm going to beat everyone on Earth to do so. I think you mistook me with Korra," she tried to joke, despite her completely fake smile.

"You have that point in common," Lin shrugged.

The CEO simply ignored her and took a seat beside Isolina, inside the room, waiting for the psychologist to come. The doctor arrived rather quickly. He kindly greeted them, put a bottle of water on the table as he was taking off his coat, placed his stuff on the desk, and sat down.

Then, he was ready to start. He had his elbows on the desk, his hands forming a triangle before his pale face, on which were encrusted two little black eyes, covered with large black glasses. He looked at Asami expectantly, and she raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. If he had something to tell her, he could, but he was not going to order her around with a look. That was out of the question.

"Are you planning on staying here?" he asked, without being mean.

"I don't really want to leave her alone," Asami admitted.

"It doesn't work this way. Patients are more likely to talk when there is no one they know around. So, I'll ask you to wait outside, please."

Asami pursed her lips and tightened her hands, but nevertheless she agreed. However, as she was standing up, a little hand gripped her sleeve. She saw the lost look on Isolina's eyes who was pleading her to stay.

"You're leaving?" she asked, hesitant.

"I'll just be out of the room, but I'm staying. The man here needs to talk to you alone. If you want me to come back, you just have to ask him, okay? I'll be here right away!"

She smiled to comfort the girl, and Isolina nodded. Asami kissed her on the forehead.

"You're a good girl. Don't worry, everything is going to be fine."

She smiled one last time, and exited. There, Lin was waiting for her, and spoke as soon as she had closed the door.

"I told you."

The CEO sat down on a seat that was against the wall—and wasn't really comfortable—, and sighed.

"I know, I know. I was just trying, ok? I hope she'll be fine without me…"

"You're not her whole and everything, y'know…"

"Well, the fact is that I'm the closest person to her, and that she needs me for now. Could you not update me on the cases instead of criticizing?"

"Right… I could work too. And leave you here. Waiting."

"You are working, if you update me."

"If you say so. I don't have anything new concerning Isolina. We tried to contact all the nations, and there is no lost child corresponding to her description. I can't find anything on her parents either. And concerning the scar part… as long as she doesn't talk, I can't really search for mysterious guys without anything on them. We are investigating on the different organizations that put children to slavery, but I think we won't find something even close to what happened."

Asami pondered: should she tell her about Isolina's exceptional bending abilities? She trusted Lin, but somewhat she couldn't do that. It was too dangerous. Maybe the kind of organizations which used those so-powerful children had a really large network, like the Red Lotus had had. She could not risk it. For Isolina's safety.

"And the other children?" the CEO asked.

"It's starting to fall into place. Maybe we could transfer Isolina soon."

"I…" Asami winced, and composed herself. "No."

"No?"

"No, don't transfer her. She stays with us."

"How come you changed your mind? You wanted to get rid of her."

"I can't do that to her. And I want to be updated concerning her case. So, she stays with me until the end."

"Asami, I told you: it is dangerous. You have a great heart, but that can be a real problem. You know she'll have to leave you."

"And I'll be prepared when, or if, it happens."

"' _If_ '?"

"We don't know anything about her parents. I want to make sure they are good people for her."

"Even if they are not, it's not for you to decide. You can't take her away from them."

"That is right, but… I'm not leaving her to some dangerous strangers. And I won't change my mind. I'll fight for her if that is necessary."

"Why do I feel like this story is going to end very badly?" Lin muttered, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know what you worry about. They could be fine and there will be no trouble."

"Asami…" Lin sighed, putting a hand on her forehead.

But as she was talking, the door of the room Isolina was in opened.

"Miss Sato," the psychologist said, adjusting his glasses, "please, come back in."

She stood up, without another look to the older woman, and got back in. Immediately, Isolina rushed to her and hugged her tightly. She took the young child in her arms, soothing her as she was used to doing.

"What's wrong?" she asked Isolina, with her soft and concerned voice.

The young girl didn't answer, so she spoke to the doctor:

"Did something happen?" she asked more aggressively, as if she was blaming him for Isolina's current state.

"Nothing happened," he assured. "She didn't say a word. I would like to talk to you, Miss Sato. Alone."

"Very well."

She got out of the room with Isolina and left her with Lin, telling her to stay there and that she was coming back soon. The little girl seated and didn't move anymore. The CEO only nodded at Lin, silently asking her to take care of her. The chief of police nodded too, meaning that she had understood what she had just asked. Then, the young green-eyed woman got back in, closed the door, and firmly looked at the man.

"Miss Sato, what is your relationship with Isolina?" he asked,taking back his stance from earlier.

"I'm currently taking care of her. She lives with me. Why?"

"Can you tell me a little more about how you two met?"

"She was walking alone in the street, three men tried to hire her for some weird stuff, I intervened and I took her here. But since there was no one to take care of her, I took her with me."

"And so, she lives with you?"

"Yes."

"Is it only the two of you?"

The more the time passed, the more Asami had the feeling she was interrogated. And she didn't even know why. And could that guy be that oblivious? She and Korra were certainly the most famous couple of all four nations—not that they purposefully wanted to.

"No…"

Seeing that it was not enough of an answer because of that scrutinizing look of his, she resumed, sighing:

"She lives with Korra—you know, the Avatar—, Naga, her polar-bear-dog, and I."

"How would you describe her relationship with them?"

"She loves Naga and enjoys playing with her, and she trusts Korra."

"Fine… Did she meet other people?"

"Yes."

"How was it?"

"She is not really talkative."

"Would you say that she's afraid of others?"

"Maybe," she said shortly.

She didn't really want to talk, nor cooperate to some extent. And since she was growing tired of this ping-pong match between questions and answers, she interrupted him before he could ask more of them:

"What's the point with these questions? Shouldn't you try to check if she doesn't have any emotional trauma?"

"Oh, I would be pleased to do that, if she talked," he retorted. "But as I can see, she doesn't."

"She just doesn't like you."

"Me and all people? Except you and Korra, that's it?"

"More or less."

"I do think that there is a problem with Isolina, but I think that this problem is you."

"Excuse me? _I_? How could I be a problem for her?"

"You prevent her from expressing herself."

"That's not true! I always try to make her talk, but she just doesn't want to! I don't know why it is that way, ok? I didn't make her that way. But she's just a fragile child, and I can't force her to do something she doesn't want. Her trust in me and in Korra is all she has for now!"

"What makes you think you're so important to her? Maybe she just needs to open to other people."

"I… Yes, I get your point, but no I can't break that trust. If she is a bit willing to open to others, I'm not against it, but for now it's useless."

"Make her talk to me then. I can help her."

Even if she didn't like this man, she knew she couldn't refuse. She wasn't the more qualified here. She would protect Isolina not matter what, and she would never force her, but she could at least try to make her be a little more cooperative. If anything went wrong, she would stop anyway.

"Okay. Let's try…"

She opened the door again, took Isolina back from Lin, who was watching the scene unfolding with her curious look. Then, the little girl and the young woman sat down once more in front of the desk, and he started questioning the blue-eyed girl again:

"So, Isolina, can you tell me a bit about how you feel?"

The little girl didn't say anything and Asami, when she understood because of her stare that she didn't intend to answer, sighed. It wasn't a difficult question, she could answer.

"Isolina, please," she pleaded.

The girl looked up at her with those sad blue eyes of her, titling her head.

"Do I have to?" she asked, feverishly.

Asami kneeled down to face her, taking both her little hands in hers.

"No," she said with a soft and patient expression.

She didn't see him, but the psychologist, who was watching them while playing with his pen, raised his eyebrow.

"You don't have to, Isolina. But you should. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything, but you can answer this question, right? It's not that difficult, is it? If it's me being there that bothers you, I can leave and you can talk with the man here alone."

"No!" Isolina shouted, tightening her grip. "Don't leave! Don't leave, please, Asami… Don't leave me alone…"

"Oh, I won't, sweetie, I won't, ok? But please, talk a bit with the man. I'm just beside you."

"Can't you hold me? I like it when you hold me…"

"Yes… I can…"

She wasn't sure that was the right thing to do, but she would do it anyway. For Isolina. She went back to her seat and took Isolina in her lap. The psychologist cleared his throat, having a fist on his mouth as doing it, and resumed his talking:

"So, can you talk a bit about you?"

"I'm Isolina. I'm five."

"Okay… How do you feel?"

"Happy."

"Happy? You're happy to live with Asami and Korra?"

"Yes! And Naga! I like to play with Naga," she affirmed, almost bouncing on Asami's knees with a bright smile.

"Of course, and Naga," the psychologist smiled before getting to the heart of the matter. "But Asami and Korra are not your parents, right? Don't you miss them?"

When he mentioned her parents, the little girl suddenly darkened, lowering her hard and beholding her hands which were resting on her knees.

"Yes…" she confessed, depressed.

"Do you want to find them?"

"No."

Her answer was so short and so dark that Asami shuddered. She had never heard her having this tone of voice with her. It was almost macabre; it was so odd to hear it from the mouth of the five-year old kid Isolina was.

Too stunned by this weird answer, none of the two adults noticed that, in the bottle which was on the desk, bubbles were starting troubling the calm of the water.

"Can I ask you why?" the psychologist resumed, once he got over it.

"No," Isolina answered, still brief and dark.

"Okay… We'll talk about that later…" he gave up, seeing that he was on a slippery slope. "But if you don't want to find your parents, does that mean that you want to stay with Korra and Asami?"

"I… I don't know," she answered a bit scared this time, fidgeting a little on Asami's knees, almost as if she wanted to flee.

The young woman immediately felt some kind of unease coming with this question. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer… Then, she just did was she was doing the best: soothing Isolina without thinking about anything else.

"Isolina, calm down," Asami whispered, making little circles on her back. "It's okay."

"You sure?" she asked, turning to her with her eyes reflecting tears.

"Yes, I am."

The psychologist cleared his throat once more to make them focus on him, and the two looked at him again: Isolina a bit flustered, and Asami lightly irritated. But she didn't say anything and let him keep going with his interview.

"What was your life like with your parents?" he asked.

There were a few seconds before she talked:

"Daddy worked. Mommy was at home with me."

"And what did you do at home?"

"She taught me."

"That's all?"

She nodded. So, the doctor didn't insist more.

"Would you say you love your parents?"

"… Yes…"

"Like you love Asami?" he asked, almost as tempting as a vicious snake.

"Yes…"

The young woman tried to mask her fluster; which was really hard to do when her feelings were so soft and tender, striking her into the core, because of the little girl's indirect—but perfectly moving—declaration. The doctor looked at her, smirking, as if he had beat her at a game which known him as the best, and she hated him at that exact moment.

"Isolina, would talk to me a little about how you met Asami?" he said, not letting his victory trouble his work.

"She saved me!" the little girl answered, with enthusiasm and flawless admiration.

"She did? How did she do that?"

"She beat the three men who were bothering me!"

"Do you know why these men were talking to you?"

She shook her head, really not knowing.

"How did you know that they were not trying to help you like Asami did?"

"Because old people are mean…"

"And Asami is not? She's also older than you."

"Yes, but she's kind."

"Ok… Could you tell me a bit more about what you were doing that day?"

"Walking…"

"Yes, but what's more?"

"Nothing…"

"So, you just ended up being in that street all alone out of nowhere?"

"Yes…"

"Isolina, you are lying to me."

"Yes…"

"Why don't you tell the truth?"

"Because."

"Ok… Then, would you tell me a bit about how you were separated from your parents?"

Isolina ignored him then and turned to Asami. She put herself at the same eye level and pulled her sleeve several time in a raw, even though she already had all the young woman's attention.

"Can we go home now?" she asked, imploring her.

"Isolina… can't you answer his question?" Asami answered, trying not to give in, even if she was not far from doing so.

The blue-eyed girl shook her head.

"I don't want to," she explained.

"But you have to," the man spoke again, a little irritated.

He knew she was losing the game. Isolina had just started talking though… He was sure he was not that far from succeeding. But here it was: the little girl was using her joker—Asami, a woman who, clearly, couldn't resist her supplications.

Besides, the latter didn't appreciate at all the tone of the man. She answered instead of Isolina, a little more firmly than she was used to:

"No, she doesn't," Asami defended, before she could stop herself.

The psychologist ignored her and talked to Isolina again, thinking that he should insist more, gain time, win the game:

"I need to know what happened to you in order to heal you. You understand that, right?"

Isolina didn't move.

"So, tell me a little more about your parents. I need to know. What happened to you?" he insisted.

Isolina squeezed Asami's clothes harder, closing her eyes.

"What happened to your parents? To your family?" he continued, pushing again and again, thinking that the truth would eventually unfold.

Isolina started fidgeting, pulling Asami's clothes harder and harder, clenching her teeth and shaking her head vigorously. The psychologist gave her only a few seconds of respite—the time to watch for her reaction—before resuming his infernal investigation:

"Talk to me. It will be better after. You can tell me. Tell me what happened to you. How did those scars end up on your back, Isolina?"

"Please, stop," Asami pleaded.

For a few seconds now, she had been seeing that the bottle of water on the desk had begun to intensely move, and with an increasing virulence. She knew it meant that Isolina was feeling overwhelmed by emotions, and that could be dangerous.

However, the psychologist did not listen to her. A little more, he said to himself, just a little bit. One last question and he would stop. But it was too much to ask for.

"Who did that to you? "

It was the last straw: the cork of the bottle gave way under pressure, and a spurt of water sprang toward the ceiling. Mysteriously, it did not explode nor did it reach the ceiling; it took the form of a boiling hand, ready to fall on the doctor.

"Isolina!" Asami exclaimed, with a tone expressing both reprimand and a slight fear.

As soon as this call to order was done, the water ceased to take this threatening form and fell limply on the desk. The psychologist was looking in front of him, stunned and aghast. He could not believe what was happening.

"I'm sorry," the girl sobbed, her face soaked with tears.

"Isolina..." murmured the young woman, saddened to see her so upset. "Calm down. Everything will be alright."

She caressed her, and the blue-eyed girl put her head in her neck, trying to hide more and more in this maternal sweetness.

"I'm sorry," said the psychologist, not yet fully recovered from his shock.

Asami glared at him. As if it were going to be enough! For what he had done? She had warned him! She would never— _ever_ —let him get near her again. Isolina did not need such a man in his life; she only needed love, and she would eventually open up.

"We're leaving," Asami stated with an irrevocable tone of voice.

She stood up, with Isolina in her arms and proceeded to go out of the room.

"I… Yes… What?" he stammered. "Wait, you can't leave! This appointment is not over! At least, let me reschedule one for another time!"

"No, thank you very much," Asami said. "I think you've done enough. You can say whatever you want, but I don't like how you act with me or with Isolina, and I think she would be far better without you."

"No, I… Miss Sato, please, wait!"

Instead of answering him, she ignored him and left, shutting the door in his face. He wasn't courageous enough to follow her.

She didn't even say anything to Lin when she left. She had only one thing on her mind: getting away from him, going back home to take care of the little girl whose tears wetted her neck.

Once they reached the mansion, Isolina had stopped crying.

The little girl was sitting on the couch, her arms wrapping her legs. Asami sat down next to her with a hot chocolate and a tee for herself.

"Are you ok?" Asami asked, worried.

Isolina barely nodded, but she at least unwrapped herself and took the cup of hot chocolate.

"I'm sorry," the green-eyed woman added.

But as there was no answer, she sighed. Truly, that appointment was going to be a pain even after being over…

A few seconds, or maybe minutes, passed by in a deep silence, before Isolina asked:

"Are we going again?"

"No," Asami said.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely sure. That man was a…"

She was going to say "a jerk" but she stopped right there, changing to "an idiot" instead.

"I'm really sorry, Isolina," she resumed. "If I had known it would go this way, I wouldn't have taken you there."

"It's ok…"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes…"

"Do you want to do something to take your mind off that awful appointment?"

"I…"

"Yes?"

"Can we go see Korra?"

"Um… Yeah… We can try. She's certainly on the Air Temple Island. Well, if she's not, it'll make us go out for a bit."

And so, they made their way to the Air Temple Island. They didn't find Korra immediately, but they met Opal who was still with Hideo.

"Asami! You often come here currently!" she said as a greeting.

"Oh, hey, Opal! I was just searching for Korra. Isolina wants to see her."

"Hi," the air-bender said softly to the little girl, smiling.

Isolina returned the smile, even if it was weaker.

"Korra will be back in a few minutes. She had to transport goods to the Earth Republic," Opal informed. "So, Isolina's still with you? Do you have fun together?"

"Well, yes," Asami answered.

She didn't want to give more details, first because she didn't know much about Isolinaand especially because she didn't know what she should say or not.

"Oh! I just thought about it, but you could come to the party we throw for Reena's seventh birthday!" Opal changed the subject, and Asami felt greatly relieved. "She would be delighted to have someone her age!"

"Oh… you mean… you want Isolina to be in a party with other children?"

"No, nothing like that! We're throwing a party here, on the Air Temple Island. It's going to be big, we want to gather everyone. It's been such a long time we've not all seen each other… So, there are going to be lots of adults and Reena would be bored to play only with her siblings. So since Isolina and her are almost the same age, it could be fun."

"I see… I'll have to talk to Korra about it, but sure!"

Actually, she was more worried about Isolina being among so many people she didn't know. She didn't know what could happen, how the blue-eyed girl could react; she simply didn't know if it was a good idea. She had to admit that she didn't like the idea at all and she was really tempted to decided immediately that they wouldn't go.

But maybe the psychologist was right about that… Maybe she shouldn't overprotect her. Maybe she should do as Lin had said and have her get along with others. If she were to have friends, maybe it would be a good first step! Maybe she could even get her to stop with her silence, opening up a little bit more, even if it was not with Asami.

As she said that, the Avatar landed with her flying bison. She jumped to get down and landed just beside Asami and Isolina with her airbending.

"Hey! What are you two doing here?" she asked, cheerful, reaching her wife to kiss her.

"Just talking with Opal. Isolina wanted to see you," Asami answered.

"Oh? What's up, little puppy?"

"Can we waterbend?" Isolina asked. "It makes me happy."

"Sure."

"No fight!" Asami ordered as the two were getting away.

"I wouldn't risk it," the Avatar assured, almost adding in her head 'for my own safety'.

And so, Isolina and Korra went waterbending, exchanging calmly balls of water in a way that looked soothing. Opal and Asami resumed their talking, watching them from afar.

"She's good," the airbender noticed.

"Yes, she is," Asami said as Opal's eyes were on her, while she was watching Isolina.

"You're okay with it?" the young woman ended up asking, after a few seconds.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know…" she spoke again, going back to watch the two waterbenders. "You know, Bolin had a hard time accepting that his first two children were waterbenders. He's still hoping that Hideo would be a little more like him. He doesn't mind them being airbenders, he loves them just as much, but he would like to teach them a little of earthbending, you know. It's a way to share something with them."

"I see…"

"So, you really don't mind?"

"Of course I'm conscious that Isolina will have something special with Korra, but as things are, I'm glad she has Korra to help her."

Opal nodded.

"Do you know how long she'll stay with you?" she started again.

"I don't know. Sometimes, I hope it'll be forever…"

Opal almost started up, not expecting this answer at all. She turned to Asami, seeing this tender and loving look she had worn the first day she had seen her with Isolina. She definitely had grown fond of this girl…

A few weeks had been enough to change the lives of the three of them forever. Opal didn't know how long it would last, she hoped it would never stop. She hoped that the bond they shared would never break—for her friends' and this little girl's happiness. But how lucky could they be if it went that way? It would be quite amazing, for sure.

Asami shook her head, going back to reality.

"What about you? Aren't you tired of always being here?" she asked, changing the topic.

"Oh, well, at least I can take care of Hideo and work at the same time! It's a bit boring when you are all by yourself with the children. Especially when they sleep as much as this one."

Opal and Asami laughed: indeed, little Hideo was still and always sleeping.

They kept chatting for an hour or so, and then it was time to get back home.

Asami went home by herself, passing by her office, since Korra had taken Isolina for a little ride on Naga. They arrived almost at the same time, though.

The evening flew and soon Isolina was asleep. Korra, who was wondering for some time already if something had happened when she was not there, was finally able to fulfill her curiosity.

"So… what happened today? Did you fight with her?" she asked, because she had noticed that Isolina was a little closer to her than the usual.

"Not really…"

"She looked a bit upset when we waterbent. It calmed her down, but still."

"Well, the psychologist was an absolute jerk."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He tried to force her to answer his questions, even if she was uncomfortable. And I am apparently weighing on her…"

"Wow, ok, a jerk. I see."

"But maybe he was right about something…"

"What?"

"Isolina can't keep seeing just the two of us. She needs to open to other people. But at the same time, I find it really scary…"

"For her or for them?"

"Both… She could end up hurting them with her bending, even if it's not on purpose…"

"I can train her. She'll be more aware of what she could do."

"I guess… Opal invited us to a party for Reena's seventh birthday. She said she would be glad to have Isolina there to play with her daughter. Do you think we should go?"

"Yeah, why not! Maybe she'll have fun."

"I hope so… She is not going to want to go, though. I'll have to convince her."

"I'm sure you can do it. It's important to have friends and I'm sure Bolin and Opal's children could befriend with her."

"Ok… We have to think about something else…"

"I'm listening."

"If Isolina is going to stay a bit longer, we have to think about what we're going to do with her."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't take her to work for months… A few days ok, a few weeks maybe, but if it's longer than that, it's going to be a problem. Besides, she's a child, she is not supposed to come with me, but to have school or something."

"I guess so. I'm not really the best example, though. What do you think we should do?"

"I don't know… The school year has already started, she is not even _our_ daughter, so I'm not even sure we can do something about it, and it looks like she knows a lot more than what children are supposed to know at her age… Maybe we should find someone to keep her? But… she won't like that, and neither will I."

"Well, maybe the best is to think about it with her. You don't mind taking her to work a little while longer, right?"

"No, of course not. I like having her there, it's just not how it's supposed to be…"

Korra hummed.

"And what about you think a little less about work and Isolina and a little more about me?"

The blue-eyed woman hugged her wife and kissed her on the lips.

"I guess I can do that," Asami said kissing her once, with the intention of doing more.

Yeah, she could do that. They just had to hope that Isolina was not going to have a nightmare…

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **How was it? You can leave me a comment/review to tell me so!**

 **So, I had a problem with the psychologist, because I didn't quite… work well on her character. I wanted him to be absolutely awful at first, but it made the story awful. I mean, it's not really realistic to have a psychologist being an absolute idiot. So, I changed to that, and I hope it's ok now. It's still not one of my favorite chapters, but it's fine I guess.**

 **I hope you liked it and you'll continue to read,**

 **See you!**

 **Lion**

* * *

 **Answer reviews guest or not-answerable:**

 **firekovu:**

 **Thanks for your review! I'm gald you like the story! I hope the development will remain good and interesting!**

 **See you!**

 **Mapa:**

 **I don't speak Spanish, sorry. I can talk Italian, though x) But I guess you'll understand English just fine, right? I do understand Spanish a bit, though. So, thank you very much for your review! I hope you'll keep enjoying the story just as much ;)**

 **See you!**

 **Lion**

 **Wolfruleer:**

 **Hey! Don't worry, I won't give up ;) I'm just a bit long to update. But yeah, this story will have an end, don't worry about it :) Thanks for your involvement!**

 **See you again!**

 **Lion**


	13. Trying new things

**A/N: Hi!**

 **Here is the new chapter. So, basically, Isolina is learning new things and all. I hope you'll like it!**

 **By the way, special thanks to** **Cathridge , who helped me correcting this chapter. Hopefully, it has less mistakes than usual!**

 **See you at the end, and enjoy!**

* * *

For the next few days, Asami took Isolina to work with her. There was no problem and they resumed their little routine. The CEO didn't worry about anything for a few days, neither Opal's party, nor Lin and her psychiatrist, nor that school problem. She knew she would have to do it eventually, but the less she had on her mind the better she was. And she liked just spending time with Isolina without making her depressed.

Besides, even if she didn't say it explicitly, Isolina was a little mad at her. So, it took her a few days to behave with her like she had used to, given that she was still upset because of that terrible appointment. Asami didn't mind… or rather, she did, but she was willing to give her a little more time to take everything in. It didn't take long and soon she was hugging her again and clinging to her.

It was at that time that Opal asked Korra if Asami and her had discussed about the party. Since the Avatar knew that her wife still hadn't talked to Isolina, she pretended not knowing about the party and said that they would talk about it this very evening. So, after Korra had insisted a bit more, the green-eyed woman eventually agreed to talk to Isolina.

They were on the little girl's bed, it was almost time to go to sleep, and Isolina was curious about what Asami had to tell her. She was a bit scared too, because the last time the young woman had asked her something it hadn't ended very well. But she had forgiven her, and she still trusted her.

"Say, Isolina, would you mind going to a party with Korra and I?" Asami asked.

"I've never been to one…" the little girl admitted.

"Well, it could be a good opportunity!"

"I guess…" she said, a bit wary and not really conciliatory.

"Look, remember Opal?"

The young girl nodded. She remembered Opal. She didn't mind her. Maybe she could even like her. She was nice. But her husband was scary. He was too excited…

"She has three children," Asami resumed. "Hideo, you have met, Lanying, who is a little older, and Reena who is going to be seven in less than a month. And Opal would like to throw a big party for Reena's birthday because we have lots of friends but we can't really see them often. It would be great if we could gather and have fun all together. But she also wants to throw this party because she wants her children to be able to play with other children. So, she thought that you could befriend them. What do you think?"

"You'll leave me alone?" Isolina asked, opening widely her eyes as she was getting scared.

"Well, not exactly… I'll be there, not far from you, and you would be able to see me whenever you want and we could go home if needed, but… you've never been with other children and I think making friends would be good for you!"

"I'm not sure I can do it…"

"Oh, sweetie, of course you can. You're adorable, they'll love you! You don't have to stay with them all the time and talk to all of them, but at least you could try just talking? And if you like, you could play. Opal said that Reena wanted to have someone her age, so she really wants to meet you."

"But we have a two-year difference!"

"Well, not exactly. More one and a half. When were you born actually?"

"November 7th."

"Well, she was born in October, so it's not even a year and a half! Do you really not want to go?"

"I don't know… Do you really want me to go?"

"I don't want to force you, Isolina. I never want to force you. But… to be honest, even if it scares me a bit, I want you to meet other people too. Your parents prevented you from doing that, and I don't blame them or anything, but it's important to know others. It makes you be a better person. And it's not that I'm a big fan of great parties, but I miss seeing my friends too… See? It's important to have friends. You can have fun. We could even visit them after. Don't you think it would be fun?"

"Maybe?"

"Well, it's not now, so I'll let you think about it, ok?"

"Ok…"

Asami stopped for a few seconds, seeing Isolina's annoyed face. She saw the irritation and fear in the blue eyes, but far from reflecting these feelings—though she shared them from a certain point of view—her green eyes affirmed the confidence and conviction she had. She was going to be a little firmer for once.

"Also…" the green-eyed woman hesitated. "You're not going to like that either but… I don't know what's going to happen later, Isolina, and… I can't take you to work forever. So, maybe we could try something?"

"Like what?"

"Like… I don't know… You could go to school? You can have a few friends there too."

"If you want…" she said, almost angrily sighing, as she was glaring at the bed.

"We can try, that's all," the CEO tried to play down.

"Okay…"

Asami put her hand under Isolina's chin and made her look at her.

"Look, I just want you to have a normal childhood, so that you can be happy afterward. If it doesn't work, we'll figure something out. I'm not like your mom, I can't stay at home with you and teach you. If I could, I would be pleased to do it, but it doesn't work that way."

"I understand."

"Good."

She released her and Isolina lowered her head again. Asami didn't like that, she didn't like when she pouted or when she was mad at her, but did she have any choice? If she wanted Isolina to have a chance in this world, they could not stay like that; she had to open to people. Or at least try. They could go through it. She would help her. They would help her.

"Come here," she said to Isolina, opening her arms.

The girl glanced at her, and looked back at the sheets, fidgeting a little as she hesitated.

"Isolina," Asami whined.

So, without looking at her, she got closer in order for Asami to hug her. The green-eyed woman sighed when the little girl finally came to her, then kissed the top of her head.

"I'm really sorry, Isolina," she said. "I know it's hard for you. It's hard to be separated from your parents, to live in that new environment with Korra and I, and to have to go through things you've never done before. But I don't make you do those things to hurt you, I want you to be okay, I want you to be happy, and you can't stay the five-year old girl you were with your parents. You can understand that, right? I know that you're young, and maybe my words don't make sense right now, but maybe later? My only purpose is for you to fully blossom. I don't want anything but your happiness, Isolina."

She felt Isolina jolting, and realized that she was actually crying a bit.

"Oh, Isolina," Asami said, hugging her tighter, "did I make you cry? I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to."

"Why are you so nice?" Isolina sobbed, her voice almost not audible as the words were evaporating in Asami's shirt.

The CEO didn't know why the child in her arms was crying, and she certainly wasn't expecting this question. Why was she so nice? Why did she say she was nice when she was not okay with what she had said?

"I…" Asami uttered first. "I love you, that's all."

What more could she say? The blue-eyed girl didn't add anything and kept crying a little. The young woman let her do so, thinking that tears could help her to get better.

"It's time to sleep now, sweetie," the green-eyed woman said softly.

Isolina loosened her grip a little, and Asami put her to bed, kissing her one last time. Barely a few seconds after that, she was asleep. Korra didn't even bother to come wish her good night: she was too afraid of waking her up.

"Did it go well?" she asked Asami, once they were in their room.

"I think so. She cried a little… But I think she understood."

"Well, good! So, we have a party with Opal and all our friends. Sounds fun!"

"Yeah," she said lying on the bed. "I guess, it will be."

"It's going to be weird seeing everyone at the same place," the Avatar gushed.

"A bit, yes."

Seeing her wife looking at the ceiling with a distracted expression and answering her with very short answers, the blue-eyed woman realized that she was only half listening, worried about something else.

"Stop worrying about Isolina. It'll be fine," she told her.

"I'm not!" the young green-eyed woman refuted.

"Yes, you are. It's written all over your face," Korra said touching Asami's nose and kissing her on the cheek.

She made herself comfortable, beside her on the bed. The green-eyed woman sighed.

"I'll worry when it'll happen," she said, distracted.

"Or you can also not worry at all."

After receiving a glare from Asami, she added:

"Ok, you'll worry. But it's fine, really. For now. Just sleep."

She kissed her on the lips, and after a few hugs and caresses, they eventually fell asleep.

* * *

For the next few days, Asami took Isolina with her to work, talking to her and reassuring her about her going to school in a near future.

When they got home, Isolina played with Naga and trained with Korra, learning better and better how to master her waterbending skills. It seemed useful, as a lot less accidents happened at night when she had nightmares.

Someday, after having thought about it a lot, Korra and Asami decided that Isolina might be ready to try mixing with other children if she wanted to. They thought that going to school was maybe too much of a big step and all the procedures were certainly too complicated for something which might not work.

Besides, they didn't know what class Isolina should be in. It looked like her mother had taught her things that went way beyond what a five-year old was supposed to know: it certainly went up until a third-grade knowledge. She couldn't skip so many classes... Or it could be rather difficult to adapt, especially for Isolina who was so unused to others.

And so, their first try was to bring her to a nanny for a day. They were just two other children. So, it was just a little step forward.

However, the young girl was still very reluctant to stay apart from Asami, even if she agreed to it through arguments and reassuring words. So, this day, the CEO had to talk to her for a very long time (which made her late for work), before the other woman took charge of Isolina.

And though Asami knew that this needed to be done and that the nanny was a very competent one, she couldn't help worrying for Isolina all day. She stayed close to her phone and she had informed Lu that she was likely to get going anytime.

Actually, her assistant smirked and made fun of her, but she did as if she hadn't noticed. He only found this side of his CEO touching. Eventually, since she was not able to contain it anymore, she left work early to pick Isolina up.

When she showed up, the woman looked terrified. She made her come in, telling her that Isolina had been a bit difficult. And just then, the little girl quite literally fell into the CEO's arms.

"Where were you?" Asami asked, surprised.

The little girl looked at the ceiling and Asami frowned. She looked at the nanny, who sighed, looking relieved.

"Did it go well today?" she asked, raising her eyebrow at the other woman.

The latter fidgeted, looking ashamed. Asami glanced at Isolina, who was looking elsewhere. Okay... It certainly hadn't gone the best of ways, like she had hoped.

"Um," the woman uttered. "Isolina is a bit of a difficult child..."

Isolina glared at her and the woman ignored her, smirking lightly and being a bit malicious.

Asami glanced successively at the two of them. There was a strange atmosphere, as if the woman and the child were fighting, without any real gesture or word. The young CEO assumed that this little quarrel ensued from what had happened that day... And it didn't feel it had been good.

"Usually, she's pretty nice," Asami said, wanting the woman to develop what the problem had been.

"Maybe with you... She refused to stay with me or the other children, and she just stayed up there on a slab of ice she created with her waterbending."

"Is that true?" Asami asked Isolina.

"Yes... Can we go?" the little girl honestly answered.

"Isolina..." the young woman groaned, lightly exasperated.

"Please..." she pleaded with her puppy eyes.

"Okay..." she sighed. She put Isolina down. "Could you wait for me in the hall? I have to talk with the woman for a bit."

She nodded and left quickly, as if she was looking forward to leaving, almost fleeing, this house.

Well, at least, now that Isolina was not there anymore, she could try to limit the damage. Then, Asami began talking:

"I'm sorry for today."

"It's okay", the nanny reassured her. "At least she didn't break anything or got mad."

"Yes, I find it reassuring."

"Do you think you will bring her to me again?"

"Um... I... don't think so? It's up to her and I think it'll be a while before she agrees again to that."

"It's okay. But if you do bring her again, maybe we should try something to make her feel more comfortable?"

"Sure!"

After apologizing and thanking her again, Asami took Isolina and they left.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked Isolina, once they were in the car, on the way home.

"I missed you..." Isolina simply said, as if it summed up the day.

"Maybe if you hadn't stayed away from everyone, you wouldn't have."

"I didn't want to be with them!"

"Why?"

"She didn't want to leave me alone. I always had to be with the others!"

"You didn't get along with them?"

"No..."

"Why?"

"They were too... close."

"Close?"

"They tried to stay with me all the time... and... play..." she added with a disgusted expression.

"What's the problem with playing with others?"

"I didn't want to!"

"Ok, ok!"

There was a little silence before Isolina talked again.

"Will you send me there again?"

"I guess you don't want to go anymore?"

The young girl shook her head and the CEO sighed.

"If you're just going to stay up there on your ice, I'd rather you not go."

Isolina uttered a shriek of happiness.

"But that doesn't mean it can continue like that," Asami spoke again, not wishing to reach a dead end concerning this option.

"What?!" the little girl was offended.

"You can't keep avoiding others. I understand that you're not comfortable with adults, and I won't force you, but... children... Really, Isolina, what can they do to you?"

"They are noisy... and bothering me."

"You're five but you already sound like an old lady..." Asami sighed. "But I guess that's the way you are..."

The young girl only shrugged, and the end of the ride finished in silence.

When they got home, Korra was already there, waiting with Naga. She was petting her and her polar bear-dog was waggling her tail. But when she saw Asami's car, she left Korra to greet Isolina, and the two of them went directly playing. The two women stayed together, watching them and enjoying the light and fresh breeze of the wind.

Korra glanced at her wife, whose green eyes were following Isolina. She didn't know whether she should ask about Isolina's day or not.

"She said she doesn't want to go again," the CEO said sensing the blue eyes on her.

"Will she go again?" the Avatar asked, curious.

"No."

"You sure?"

"Maybe later but not tomorrow."

"Okay... So you take her to work tomorrow?"

The CEO winced. That would be a problem…

"I can take her with me, but... I think I'll finish late tomorrow. Like really late."

"I can take her, if you want," Korra suggested.

"You can?" she was stunned, turning to her wife and looking at her with hope: it would save her life!

"Of course. She's a great bender, criminals are nothing for her!"

The green-eyed woman raised an eyebrow, dubious, and Korra laughed.

"I'm kidding. I just have to go to the Air Temple Island and I'll certainly stay there for the day. If everything goes smoothly, I'll watch her. And if not, she'll play with Naga and Opal will take care of her."

"Okay… If you think it's possible, I trust you. But I let you tell her, then."

They kept watching Isolina for a little while longer and then they told her they went inside.

Later this evening, Korra informed Isolina that she would come with her the day after and she was not against it. Then, they put her to bed and they also went to theirs. The next day would be a very new day.

* * *

"Are you really sure you're going to be ok?" Asami asked for at least the third time this morning.

"I've babysitted the airbenders when they were kids, remember?" Korra said, more amused than really annoyed by her wife's behavior.

"Yes, but at that time you were training, not fighting, or going all around town for special missions."

"I fought Amon, you know?" she pointed out.

"Yes… But except for this day when the Air Temple Island was attacked, you were at peace there."

"And I can't be now?"

"You can be disturbed anytime to go elsewhere."

"I told you that it was going to be an easy day today."

"If it's not, call me immediately and I'll come get her."

"Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine. You can focus on your work."

"Ok…" She bent to kiss Isolina and hug her.

"You're going to strangle her," Korra grumbled.

She released her and stood up again.

"Okay, okay, I'll let you go," she sighed, lightly shaking her head. "See you tonight."

Isolina quickly hugged the CEO too, and the young woman put her hand through the black hair. Then, the young girl withdrew herself, but not without glancing one last time at her, and smiling a little. And Asami smiled back.

After that, Korra and Isolina got out, and the Avatar put the young girl on Naga's back, before getting on her herself; all of that under the watchful eye of the CEO. Then, they finally left.

Asami sighed: the day was going to be long… Like very long. She tried not to think too much about it, and she just went to work.

* * *

Basically, Korra organized with Opal to always have someone watching Isolina.

The young girl played with Naga, when the Avatar had to go and Opal watched her. And when Opal had to go, Korra was back to take care of her. Isolina didn't care at all who was watching her, even if she preferred Korra staying with her instead of Opal, whom she didn't know very well.

The green-eyed woman made a point of talking to her a bit. Isolina acted really shy and didn't talk much, but at least she got a little bit more comfortable.

In the afternoon, Korra was done with all the work that she had to do. So, she suggested to Isolina they trained to waterbend. After a few minutes of training only, the young girl got bored and she asked Korra if they could do something new.

"I wanna learn healing now!" she demanded, with the naïve determination of a five-year-old.

"Um, sure…" Korra said, looking around her. "But there is no one to heal right now…"

"Did you start learning healing by healing someone?" Opal, who was around, asked, curious.

"Uh… Well, I can't remember clearly… I started when I was about the same age as Isolina. And I remember helping Katara to heal people who came to ask for her help."

"Well, she certainly made you try something to check whether you could heal or not. Not all waterbenders can, right?"

"Um… Yes… But I don't know how to do that…" she admitted, as she was thinking about a way to do it. "Okay, let's try this!"

Korra waterbent a ball of water and it glowed, ready to heal someone.

"See, Isolina? When you want to heal someone, the water does that. So you just have to do the same!"

She gave the ball of water to Isolina, who started to bend it. Opal, seeing this, was more than doubtful. How could a five-year-old succeed with such instructions? She was not even sure that an adult could be satisfied with these instructions!

"Come on, Korra, you can't be serious…" the airbender scolded. "You need to give her more instructions than that; how do you want her to find a way to do it?"

"I have no idea what to say. I forgot how I learnt! I just do it!" the Avatar tried to justify.

"Maybe you should try to figure out how you do it, to explain it to her. Or she might be disappointed not to manage it. It looks really important to her…"

"Korra, Korra!" Isolina shouted, interrupting their debate. "Is that ok?"

Both women simultaneously turned their heads toward the young waterbender, who had a glowing ball of water in her hands.

"Yeah!" Korra said, jogging to her. "I knew you would manage it, little puppy," she said, tousling the black curls.

"Unbelievable," Opal was amazed.

How had she done that? It was… not impossible, but at least greatly unlikely! It was definitely stunning!

Curious, she got closer to Korra and Isolina, who was brightly grinning at the Avatar.

"Well, fortunately, you have a better student than you are a teacher," Opal ironized.

"Nonsense," the Avatar said, brushing her friend's remark off. "I just knew she would understand just right."

"Sure…" she rolled her eyes.

"Now, let's find someone to heal! Where is Rohan?"

"Why Rohan?"

"Because he just moved everywhere all the time. He is a little nasty piece of work, and gets hurt pretty easily."

"Ah, of course…"

And so, all three of them went looking for Rohan, Isolina being on Korra's shoulders. And they found him, hanging on a flying bison's tail. When he saw them, he jumped and landed before them.

"Hi, Korra!" he shouted, and Isolina clung onto her a little more.

"Hey, Rohan, just a quick question: did you get hurt recently?" she asked, as a greeting.

"If Dad's sending you to tell me to be careful, give it up already. I'll be careful when he'll send me on a mission."

"Sometimes, you sound like Meelo… But no, your dad didn't send me. I just need someone to practice healing on."

"Oh, sure! I have a few bruises for you!"

He unbuttoned his airbending suit and showed his shoulder, where three bruises were. Part of his upper arm was also bruised and cut in some places.

"Oh, that will do," Korra said, taking Isolina off her shoulders and putting her on the ground. "It's up to you, little puppy."

"Wait, she's doing it?" the young airbender became alarmed. "But she's half my age!"

"You're exaggerating. She's more than half your age. A little bit. But she's good at bending. She can do it."

"I'm not sure about that."

The Avatar kneeled down to talk to Isolina, so that she encouraged her more and gave her the confidence she needed to manage it.

"Ignore him," she advised with a soft voice. She gave her a ball of water she had just bent. "You can do it."

Isolina bent the ball of water, looking at it for a moment, then looked deep into the Avatar's eyes with her terribly blue gaze of hers.

"How do I do it?" she asked, determined.

Korra smiled:

"You put the water where you want to heal him and you just have to make it glow like before. And… uh… focus. You want to heal him, focus on that and you'll manage it. Try not to burn him," she joked with a wink.

And Isolina fidgeted a little, turning pale. Reminding her of how dangerous she was wasn't necessarily the best way to prove her that she could heal someone. Her youth prevented her from taking Korra's remark as a joke, and she was a little afraid. Actually, she wasn't the only one to be afraid...

"What!" Rohan shouted, starting to become extremely scared.

"Don't worry, she only did that once and it was not on purpose," the young blue-eyed woman reassured.

"Yeah, but she did it anyway!"

"I'm here if there is any problem. Don't be a wimp."

"Am not! She can do it, I don't care!" he defended, simultaneously giving the authorization.

Isolina looked at the Avatar, who nodded, meaning she could go ahead.

And so, the little girl, a bit trembling but very much willing, put the water on Rohan's skin; he shuddered when he sensed the cold water on his body. But soon, it warmed up and the young boy, remembering Korra's joke, started to feel very much frightened, wanting to flee.

However, he finally relaxed, as the healing process spread a soothing and peaceful feeling through him.

"Oh, that's good," Rohan sighed out of ease.

"It's working…" Korra whispered, awed. "Keep going, Isolina, you're doing a great job!"

"Yeah, that's right," Opal spoke, as impressed as Korra.

The little girl, far from turning away from her task, remained focused and managed to heal a few bruises, before the water suddenly fell to the ground.

She didn't quite release it on purpose, and that was a little frustrating. She didn't know why she couldn't control this part of the waterbending: it was resisting her in a way. She didn't like that. She could see that she hadn't finished the job.

She knew that her bending was powerful, so, why couldn't she continue healing him? It was as if her bending had decided to abandon her. And she, who sometimes wanted so much to get rid of it, was mad at it for leaving her like that. Was she good only to hurt? Why for once as she was trying to do good by healing, it left when it seemed tireless while training with Korra?

Somehow, for Isolina, healing was harder than normal bending. But it was first of all something new, and as such, the two adults were really impressed: for a first try, it was rather fruitful!

Korra was going crazy as impressed as she was by this child's abilities. She thought that with such a bending, she could do great things, help a lot of people. Of course, the opposite was also possible, but the Avatar did not care; she had faith in Isolina's heart.

But seeing her disappointed and crumpled face, she swallowed all her excitement to finally kneel near Isolina and congratulate her with words full of sweetness and comfort:

"It's good Isolina. I'm sure you'll manage to be one of the best healers of the world."

The young child then turned her head towards her, tilting it slightly. She smiled brightly, her blue eyes shining with a sudden spark of hope.

The Avatar reformed a new ball of water.

"Do you want us to finish now?"

Isolina vigorously nodded, and they finished healing Rohan, who left almost immediately for playing reckless. Opal shook her head then, and Korra burst out laughing.

"I'm not sure I could be in Tenzin's shoes… Having a child like Rohan is a lot of stress…" Opal said.

"He's enjoying life. Leave him alone," Korra said, shrugging.

"Of course you would say that! You're exactly like him! I feel sorry for your parents…"

"My parents are just fine, thank you."

They continued their friendly quarrel a little, and the afternoon ended. Everyone went home, and for Isolina, Asami's absence was felt. But, getting away from this weirdness in her new routine, she took her mind off by playing with Naga, as usual, and with Korra for a bit.

* * *

The CEO entered the mansion, without making any noise. She took off her shoes and sighed. She didn't know what time it was exactly. The sun had set, and she was tired, that was all she knew. She proceeded going to her bedroom, but she stopped when she saw someone on the couch. She could only see a figure. Had Korra stayed downstairs to wait for her?

Something was odd, though, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She got closer to the couch. Closer and closer. Finally, she noticed that there were actually two figures. Both asleep. Korra wasn't the only one who had waited for her, obviously.

She silently chuckled, and shoved Korra's shoulder very lightly, while smiling. Getting home late in these conditions was not so terrible, after all…

The Avatar lightly grumbled, as a response to the touch.

"Shouldn't both of you be in bed?" the CEO whispered.

"Mmm… You're home…" she only managed to answer her wife, her eyes barely open.

"Obviously," Asami laughed.

"We were waiting for you, but I guess we fell asleep."

"She shouldn't have been waiting for me. It's too late for her! You should have put her to bed."

"Well, guess what? I tried! But she wanted to see you."

"That's cute," the young green-eyed woman answered, full of tenderness as she was gazing at the young sleeping child. "Come on, now, let's put her to bed."

Isolina being lain on Korra, Asami took her in her arms and started to climb up the stairs. The little girl fidgeted a little, slightly waking up as she was moved. She ended up vaguely opening her eyes, before speaking:

"You're back," she noticed, drowsy.

"Yes, I'm back. It's time to go to bed now."

"I missed you…"

"I missed you too," she kissed her on the forehead.

Asami eventually reached Isolina's room. She carefully opened the door, put the little girl on her bed and covered her with blankets.

"Sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow," she promised.

"See you tomorrow," Isolina said, smiling as she was dozing off.

The CEO smiled too and got out of the room. Then, she joined Korra in her own, noticing that the latter had already gone back to sleep. She shook her head, lightly smiling. It was late, she needed to rest too.

She changed clothes and lay on bed, kissing Korra on her lips before sleeping herself.

* * *

 **A/N: Did you like it?**

 **I must say I was suprised not to hear anything from any of you after I posted the last chapter... Well, I guess no one had anything to say. Maybe this one is better for that? Or at least, I hope so. I enjoy your reviews and I'm really grateful, you know x) So, please, feel free to do it! Even if it's not in English. I'll figure something out.**

 **So, about next chapter: it's the long and awaited party! I hope you'll like it. I don't know if it's really long, or how it ends. I didn't finish it, so... But I think it's interesting. So, see you then!**

 **Lion**


	14. A Party and a New Friendship?

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **Here is the fourteenth chapter! So, the long and awaited party is here, and I hope you'll like it.**

 **My beta and I tried to correct everything, but a few sentences (or part of them) may still sound weird. If that's the case, it's that we didn't find a way to make it sound right x)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

For the next few weeks, Korra and Asami organized themselves to take care of Isolina. When Asami worked late, Korra took Isolina with her. And it happened from time to time that Opal would watch Isolina for a few hours. The little girl was starting to get used to her, and a bit to Hideo too, since he was always with her. She preferred being with Korra and Asami, though.

As the weeks were going by, Opal's party for her daughter was getting closer, until finally it was there…

* * *

"Welcome!" Opal greeted Asami, Korra and Isolina. "How are you, Isolina?"

"Fine… Thanks…" she answered, shyly, gripping Asami's leg.

She might have gotten used to Opal, but that did not mean she wasn't a little scared. Especially since she was particularly nervous about everything that was connected to this evening. She thought that hiding behind the young green-eyed woman was a good idea.

Asami was used to having Isolina hiding like that behind her, but that didn't mean she didn't feel her nervosity, or wasn't worried for her part. She thought that if she was already hiding with Opal, whom she knew, it would be very complicated when there were going to be other adults—unknown to her—or even children.

But before the CEO could act in any way, Korra started:

"And how are you, Opal?" Korra asked.

"A bit tired, but my daughter is happy. That's all that matters," she smiled, rather proud to have managed to organize all of that, even if there were light shadows showing under her eyes.

"Where is she?" Asami asked, thinking that she hadn't seen her for a while.

"Still preparing. She'll certainly join us soon. Let's go with the others."

They went in the big dining room, where most of their friends were. For a few minutes, they greeted everyone, introducing Isolina to those who had never seen her, from Bolin's and Opal's cousins to their friends.

The little girl felt really uneasy to have so many people around her and stayed close to Asami, right behind her legs.

"Hi, Mako, Wu! Long time no see!" Korra exclaimed, before hugging both of them.

Her wife was following her a little slower; Korra seemed to jump everywhere. She was so excited that it was, obviously, difficult for Asami to follow her with Isolina in her legs.

"Hi, Asami!" Mako greeted, once she got to them.

"Hello, so how have you two been?" Asami questioned, nodding her head to greet them too.

"Fine, thank you."

"How had the Earth Republic been?" Korra asked.

"Oh, you know, still improving to suppress inequalities and be a bit more modern."

"That's good."

"Oh! Who is that cute little hiding thing?" Wu asked getting a little too close to the "little thing" in question.

The little blue-eyed girl hid more behind Asami, making her almost imperceptible since she was so glued to her, as if she wanted to fuse with her. The green-eyed woman felt terrible for Isolina. She had felt her uneasiness for a while now, but the people kept coming and she hadn't had a moment to talk to her.

She took the blue-eyed girl in her arms before answering Wu:

"Her name is Isolina. Um… Korra, I'll leave you there, I need to talk to her."

"Okay… It's going to be ok?" Korra worried, subtly moving toward Asami as if to protect her.

"I hope so. If not, we'll figure something out."

The Avatar nodded, so, she left with the little girl. Thus, Korra stayed to discuss with Mako and Wu.

"Is everything alright?" Mako asked, puzzled.

"Oh, yeah, I guess… Isolina certainly feels overwhelmed because of so many people being here."

"Isolina, huh? Has she been with you for a long time?"

"Only a few weeks ago… months… Er, something like that," she fumbled while thinking.

As these words crossed the barrier of her lips, she realized how much Isolina's presence had become something banal, natural, of everyday life. It was something that had settled in and seemed to have been this way forever.

"Asami must be happy," Mako said, a bit melancholically. "She's always dreamed to have a child."

"Wait… You knew about that?" Korra said, astounded.

"Of course, she told me back when we were dating."

"I can't believe it!" Korra exclaimed as she was crossing her arms, a bit frustrated.

"Oh, why that, Avatar Korra?" Wu inquired, curious—and also greatly malicious—because of this reaction.

"She didn't tell me! And we've been together for years!"

"What do you mean she didn't tell you? But didn't you two choose to have Isolina?"

Korra laughed. No, that was not exactly what had happened…

"Not really," she answered. "We didn't adopt her. Asami just found her and brought her home. Aaaand she lives with us since then."

"Oh…"

"Mako, I'll leave you two there too," Wu said.

"Ok! See you!" he shouted to Wu as he was leaving. He then turned back to Korra, to continue their talk. "So, how long will Isolina stay with you?"

"We don't know… We can't find her parents and Isolina doesn't talk much about her past. Asami asked her questions, but recently we didn't learn anything new. But her nightmares eased, at least."

"Nightmares? She has a lot of them?"

"She had lots of them. Now it's better."

"What are her dreams about?"

"No idea. Something horrible…"

"That much?"

"Yeah… She almost burnt me once!"

"She is a fire bender?"

"No. A waterbender."

"Oh, ok…"

"Say, Mako…" Korra started, slowly, scanning the man with her gaze.

"Yes?" he asked, his voice a little more high-pitched than the usual.

"Did Beifong ask you to investigate?" the Avatar firmly questioned.

"What? No!" the policeman was offended.

"You sure? I think Beifong is afraid that Asami doesn't tell her everything."

"To keep her?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Asami's not like that."

"Yeah… Well, you use too much of your inspector tone for my taste."

At this moment, Wu came back, all jolly. He came to Mako's side and whispered in his ear, indiscreetly and speaking to loudly:

"So, did you get any information?"

"WU!" Mako shouted, angrily.

"I knew it!" Korra said, with an accusatory finger pointed at the inspector.

He took a step back as the Avatar came closer.

"So, what exactly did she ask you, dear detective?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all!" he defended putting his hand up to prove his innocence. "She just told me to make sure that Asami was ok! I swear I didn't know anything!"

"You're lying…"

"Well, she did tell me about a girl living with you… That's all, Korra."

"So, basically, she trusts neither Asami, nor me… How great…"

"Why wouldn't she trust you two?"

"Well, since she had a little fight with Asami, she thinks that Asami stopped giving her information on purpose. And I tried to talk to Lin about the last clues, but… Yeah, she must think I help Asami to hide something or I don't know what. It's true that it's nice having Isolina home with us, and it could continue like that forever… but we wouldn't purposefully prevent the investigation from progressing."

"Um… Well, it's Lin… Just insist more and be open and it should be okay. Don't ignore her… That's definitely not a good idea."

"Yeah, yeah, I know… Where did Asami go?" Korra asked, deciding it was time to change the subject. "It's a been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Yeah…"

All three of them looked around them, but the young green-eyed woman was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

"What's wrong?" Asami asked, once she and Isolina were far enough from everyone, in a smaller and emptier room.

"You're going to leave me…" Isolina said with a plaintive tone, hiding in the young woman's long black hair.

"Of course not. Why would I leave you?" Asami reassured her.

"You can talk to other people…"

"You can too."

"I don't want to. They are scary…"

"I know it's difficult for you, Isolina, but they won't hurt you, I promise. They are my friends. Do you think you'll be able to handle it?"

Isolina remained silent. She didn't want to stay there. But she didn't want to sadden the young woman either. However, this non-reaction was enough for Asami to draw conclusions.

"You want to go, right?" Asami sighed, both saddened and disappointed, but also relieved—because, yes, she would have to leave, but Isolina would be ok and she wouldn't have to worry.

The little girl didn't respond, but the young woman knew well her thoughts.

"I'll go tell Korra," she informed.

She put her down, and started going out of the room. But as she was proceeding going back to Korra and their friends, she came across Opal, who saw the little Isolina being all sheepish, tiny, waiting while staring at the floor and fidgeting.

"You're leaving Isolina here? Alone?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow, confused.

"I'm just getting Korra. Isolina doesn't feel good with everyone, so, I think I'll take her home or something."

"You can't leave now! You just arrived!"

"I know, I'm truly sorry, but it's for Isolina…"

"You haven't even seen Reena yet," Opal cut her off.

"Right…"

"Oh wait, here she comes!"

In a beautiful yellow dress, Reena entered to meet up with her mother. She was a little out of breath and looked like she was rearanging her hair and her dress while bouncing to her.

"You're finally done!" Opal said, scolding her a bit.

"I had trouble with this dress… I told you it was too tight."

"You were the one who absolutely wanted to wear a yellow dress."

"But I don't like the pink one…"

"If you had told me earlier, we would have found a new one."

The girl crossed her arms, looking like she was sulking her mother a little, even if her reprimands hadn't made her that mad.

"Don't worry, Reena," Asami spoke. "You are really pretty with this dress. It suits you really well. And I think yellow is your cool."

She winked with a smile and Reena brightened. She uncrossed her arms and began to hop on the spot, eyes sparkling and a huge smile blooming of her face.

"Thanks, Asami! I'm so glad you came!"

"Yeah, well…" she hesitated with a grimace, sensing Isolina taking again refuge behind her legs.

"Maybe she'll leave now that she has seen you," Opal informed.

"No! You can't leave, Asami! You can't!" she cried, taking her hand.

"I'm sorry, Rena," she said, cupping her cheek and brushing it with her thumb, "but I can't stay."

She didn't see Isolina frowning. The young girl didn't like how Asami addressed the other girl. At all. So, because of her jealousy, she gripped Asami's sleeve and pulled it so that it left Reena's cheek.

"Yes, Isolina… We are leaving…"

The girl in the yellow dress, who hadn't noticed Isolina at first—she had been too concentrated on her dress and Asami leaving to do so—got curious: she got closer to the pale-skinned face and stared at her. When Isolina saw that new head entering her field of vision, she startled and went even closer to Asami, gripping her left leg. Reena smiled, a bit maliciously.

"Come!" she exclaimed, taking Isolina's hand and pulling her thanks to her airbending.

"Asami!" Isolina complained—torn away from Asami, she was extending her hand to her to catch her.

"Wait, Reena…" the green-eyed woman said, trying to reach out to her.

But she was held back by Opal. The CEO turned to her friend, frowning. She was greeted by her friend, who smiled and shook her head.

"Let her be," Opal said, sweetly.

"But…"

"No 'but', Reena will take care of her and you get to enjoy your time with your friends."

"Isolina… she's… I'm afraid for Reena… she could get hurt by her," Asami tried to articulate, afraid for both little girls she cared so much about.

"She is not a monster," Opal sighed, even though she was far from knowing how redoubtable and unpredictable of an opponent the young waterbender could turn out to be. "Besides, Reena is a good airbender. I doubt she would let her herself being caught."

"I guess… But…"

"Stop arguing and come with me. Let's have fun!"

It was not that Asami didn't want to spend some time with her old friends, she was just worried to leave Isolina by herself. She was also worried the young girl would be mad at her for not helping her. But, unable to do anything, she let herself being brought back to the core of the party by Opal.

Several times, the green-eyed woman tried to leave the different conversations she had been enrolled in, but each time someone prevented her from doing so, especially Opal. So, she tried to enjoy her time, even if her gaze was always scanning her surroundings to see if she could see Isolina. But she was nowhere to be seen…

* * *

"Let me go!" Isolina shouted.

She made a sharp move with her arm and a spurt of water sprang from the fountain beside them. (She knew she shouldn't hurt people with her bending but that girl was just bothering her.) However, the water didn't reach Reena, who used her airbending to fly away and avoid the water.

"That was fast," she stated, looking at Isolina.

The little girl had taken a fighting stance. She waited for a few seconds, staring at her opponent, and then she threw another squirt of water and started running away. Reena avoided it another time with agility and threw a gust of wind to make Isolina stumble.

The little girl fell, cushioning the fall with her hands:

"Ouch!"

She then turned quickly, although she was still on the floor, facing her enemy. The latter was looking at her, one hand on her hip, and her head slightly tilted with a perfectly innocent and childish expression.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted at her, scrunching her nose.

"Play with me," Reena asked, moving closer to her.

"I don't want to," Isolina answered, glaring at her.

"But _I_ want to," Reena insisted, pouting.

Isolina frowned. Hadn't she made it clear that she didn't want to stay with her? She was still a bit curious as to why the airbender kept insisting.

"Why?" she asked, a bit wary.

"I don't know, you look fun and I don't know you."

They both looked at each other for a little while, then Isolina got back up and, almost immediately, started to run away.

That was not a good enough reason; she didn't want to stay with her. That girl was crazy, she had taken her away from Asami and now she didn't even know how to go back to her. How could she have let that happen? Why didn't she come to her? Had she ended up abandoning her?

While these terrible thoughts were upsetting the young child's mind, Reena landed right in front of her with her airbending, preventing her from moving forward.

"Come on, play with me," she said, at the same time.

But, panicked, Isolina stopped immediately, and, stubbornly closing her eyes, she made a sudden movement towards the sky. Instantly, an ice shell formed around her.

Curled up, hands on her head, the blue-eyed little girl let herself to the ground, hiding within her own body, like a turtle in her shell. It was better like that. That girl wouldn't bother her. She could wait there until Asami came to get her. Why was she so long?

"Hey! That's not fun," Reena complained, knocking against the ice, as if it were a door.

"I'm not fun! Leave me alone!" Isolina retorted, getting her head out of her nest to shout at her with anger.

"That's wrong. You're fun. Benders are cool. I'm cool."

Reena airjumped on the shell of ice and waited. She let her feet swing and hit repeatedly the wall of ice; it irritated Isolina, who wondered when she would finally leave her alone. But apparently, it was not really what she had planned, since she began to speak again:

"Say, Isolina, if I get you out of here, would you play with me?"

"You can't go through ice," the waterbender groaned.

"But what if I do?"

Isolina didn't respond. She didn't care whether she managed it or not. It wasn't her business.

"Come on, Isolina, tell me! I want you to be my friend," Reena affirmed again.

She lay on the ice to face Isolina, her head being upside down as she did so.

"Why?" the blue-eyed girl asked again, looking at Reena through the ice, frowning.

"Becaaaaaaause!… Why do I need to give you a reason? Others don't ask that…"

"Why don't they ask?"

"I don't know, I guess they don't wonder."

"Okay…"

"Why don't you want to be friends with me?"

Isolina didn't respond. She didn't know exactly why. But the young airbender's behavior certainly didn't help much.

"You'll tell me if I get you, right?"

The blue-eyed girl didn't respond. Why didn't she simply give up?

"Okay, then let's do that!" Reena decided on her own.

"You'll never go through it," Isolina repeated, convinced.

"Oh, I will!" She smiled, jumping off the block of ice.

Isolina followed her with her eyes, both curious and dubious.

The airbender went a few feet away from her. When she turned around, she looked proud and confident. Isolina raised an eyebrow.

Reena smiled, taking a fighting stance: a foot behind her and her arms lightly moving to call for the air. After a silent choreography of a few seconds, during which only the leaves of the trees were singing the melody of the wind, she suddenly took a turn on herself and pushed a torrent of wind towards the block of ice. A continuous and vertical tornado of air hit the block of ice, which didn't move, even for a bit.

"I told you it wouldn't work," Isolina said; she was a little relieved though.

But because of the noise of the wind and of her deep concentration, Reena didn't answer. She kept airbending and after a few seconds there were a few drops of water leaking down the block of ice.

The young waterbender followed these little drops with her eyes; soon, they were followed by numerous others.

"How do you do that?" Isolina asked, looking back at Reena who was still focused.

The younger girl kept staring at the airbender, who got closer and closer, until she reached the block of ice. When it was within easy reach, she hit it hard with the palm of her hand, making the wall of ice crackle. The wind then dissipated, leaving only silence to fill the place.

Isolina was wide-eyed. She looked at Reena's hand withdrawing.

"You didn't go through it," Isolina noticed, almost whispering as she was very impressed.

"I haven't finished yet," Reena said, smirking.

She airbent one more time, concentrating her power on the crackled part of the shell of ice. The air dove into the interstices making them larger and larger as the air was rubbing them. And soon, there was a hole in the ice. It was big enough so that Reena could put her hand in it.

"I got you!" she said, excited and enthusiastic to have managed that feat, as she touched Isolina. "Will you play with me now?"

Isolina stared at her strangely. What was her problem exactly?

"Oh, right, you told me you'd tell me why you don't want to be my friend," Opal's daughter remembered, getting her hand out of Isolina's refuge.

"I've never said that… you said that yourself."

"Come on!" the young airbender complained. "Do I have to make the whole ice melt?"

"How do you do that?" Isolina asked, ignoring the question.

"What?"

"Making the ice melt. You're not to firebender…"

"If I tell you, will you play with me?"

Isolina didn't respond: she still didn't like the idea. And she still didn't understand her insistence. But she wanted to understand... To understand how this girl, who had made her ice melt, worked!

"You can change the temperature of the water, right? I can do the same with the air," Reena explained, even if Isolina hadn't told her she'd get anything from it. "And my father is a lavabender! So, I learned how to make it even hotter than the other airbenders can!"

After this explanation, the two little girls stared at each other for a little while, until Reena suddenly glued her eye to the wall of ice.

"Will you play now?" she asked, once again.

At that the waterbender sighed and the ice melted.

"Okay," she grumbled, almost as if she was forced.

No, she still didn't see the point of having friends or playing with them, but she had to admit that this girl had made lots of effort—she had even pierced her wall of ice!—so, she wanted to give her a little chance.

Reena's eyes widened. Really, at this point, she didn't expect it anymore! So, happier and more enthusiastic than ever, she jumped up, flying in the air, with a "yay!". When she landed, she took Isolina's hand, with a smile that could be brighter than the sun.

"Come!" she added, dragging her around.

The little water bender stiffened. She resisted the urge of withdrawing her hand and water-slap her. Instead, she just asked:

"Where are we going?"

"To my favorite place, of course!"

Of course… She didn't know whether that was a good thing or not, but Asami told her to make a bit of an effort with others, so, at least she could try. She didn't know if she liked Reena yet, but she could maybe be fun to be with.

* * *

"It's been a long time since I've last seen Isolina and Reena," Asami pretended to notice, although she had been watching for a long time.

"Let her be," Opal advised.

"What?"

"Leave them alone. Reena and Isolina. They'll be fine."

"How can you know that? Isolina is not very good at getting along with others…"

"If you put her in that case, she'll never manage to."

"It's not that I put her into a case, it is just that she's not interested in others. I'm even surprised Reena managed to take her along…"

"Reena is a lot stubborn and she likes challenges. She usually wants to be friends with everyone."

"She has always been really outgoing."

"Yes… so, if anyone can reach out to Isolina, it's Reena. Trust her."

"It's not that I don't trust her, it's just…"

She stopped right there, as Reena and Isolina entered her field of vision.

The older girl was pulling Isolina by her sleeve, leaping every few steps. The blue-eyed girl looked willing to follow her, even if she had a scowling face. Asami would have laughed if she weren't so surprised.

Isolina tapped Reena's shoulder, and the latter turned around. She said a few words and the young airbender released her. So, the blue-eyed girl came closer to Asami. She stopped in front of her, looking almost sheepishly at the ground, and pulled her clothes, as if the young woman hadn't already noticed her. The green-eyed woman kneeled down.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Reena wants to take me to her favorite place… can I go?" she asked, looking to something on the left and holding her elbow with her hand.

"Of course, as long as she doesn't take you to somewhere dangerous," the young adult answered, with a soft voice.

"Okay…"

Isolina glanced at the young woman's face, which was deformed by tenderness and pride. She quickly kissed Asami on the cheek, and the latter smiled.

"Go," she said softly.

But as Isolina was going back, Reena came like a bomb and crashed into Asami with full force. The latter fell backward, softening her fall with her hands. Reena was on the ground with her.

"Be careful, Reena!" she gently scolded. "You're not four anymore"

"So I can't hug you anymore?" Opal's daughter asked, tilting her head to the side.

"No, you can't rush towards me like that. But of course you can hug me."

Isolina didn't agree much, though. So, she pulled Reena from Asami, saying:

"Let's go?"

Her question was more like an affirmation, but the airbender didn't hold it against her. She just smiled at her, took her hand again, and they went back to play.

Seeing this, Asami smiled.

"Need some help?" Opal asked, extending his hand.

The black-haired woman grabbed her and stood up.

"Thank you," she told her.

"You're welcome. I told you everything would be fine. You have to trust me a little sometimes!"

Asami laughed.

"I apologize, Opal, for ever doubting you!"

"Ah, it's better!" the latter said, winking at her.

Korra arrived at that moment. She surprised Asami, slipping behind her and hugging her from behind.

"What exploit did you manage, Opal? To snatch a laugh from this pretty damsel, whose heart belongs to someone other than me, I fear," Korra says.

"Aren't you exaggerating a little?" the CEO chuckled, because of her wife's sudden lyricism.

"Barely. You spent your evening thinking about Isolina, and you completely forgot me. And I thought I was the love of your life! It is quite annoying. I was beaten by a kid on top of that!

"Oh, stop already," Asami pretended to be exasperated, turning around and kissing his wife. "You know that you're the only one for me."

"Are you sure that's completely true?" she asked, looking at Isolina who was watching Reena horse around on a roof and gesture for her to come to her.

Asami followed her gaze and watched Isolina shaking her head, her hands on her hips. She pointed a safer path and Reena landed at her side, starting to go with her in that direction.

"Maybe a little five-year-old ended up stealing part of my heart..." Asami said, redirecting her gaze to her wife. "Do you think it's bad?"

"Not at all," she said, kissing her again.

She then took Asami's hand, and they joined Opal, who had left. She was now talking with Wing, Wei, and Bolin who was making big gestures, rallying around him. He was surely telling an epic story like only Bumi could do. His acting skills could be used for that at least.

Finally, this party hadn't ended up as bad as Asami could have imagined. It was even better than she had thought.

At night, when they returned, Isolina was exhausted, but she had a slight smile on her face when she fell asleep in the car. Surely, a new chapter had started. And a good one, which would surely allow them to learn more about this mysterious little girl.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reading! How about a little review?**

 **If some of you think that this story is a little too slow, don't worry, next chapter we start getting to the core of the story. Serious stuff begins soon *** **smirks*** **(No, I don't forget we have things that need a resolution.) Not that it was not serious until now. I mean, I worked a bit on Isolina, even if you didn't notice or thought it was just cute scenes xD So, yeah, don't abandon now, because you'll miss all the fun.**

 **See you another time!**

 **Lion**

* * *

 **Answers reviews :**

 **Zebra1810** **:**

 **Hi!**

 **Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you are interested and invested in this story. I hope you'll keep love it and writing me reviews if you feel like it ;)**

 **See you!**

 **Galu:**

 **Hi!**

 **I still don't speak any Spanish, so I hope English will be fine. If you have a problem with it, I can ask a friend to translate into Spanish (she helps me understanding reviews, so it's fine x))**

 **Anyway, I would like to thank you very, very much, because you sent me one of the most beautiful reviews I've ever received. I hope you got your sleep, though xD**

 **The story updates every month on the 27** **th** **. I try to write more to update earlier, but I can't currently do it.**

 **Thank you again, and I hope to hear from you another time! See you!**

 **Lion**


	15. The Beginning of Truth

**A/N: Hi everyone!**

 **Here is a new chapter! Things start slowly. Concerning the 'what things', you'll have to read it ;) But it's a long chapter and there is a lot.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

After the party, the days and weeks went by again, always with the same dynamic, while integrating new elements.

Indeed, still unable to have Isolina taken care of, the little girl kept going to work with Asami. However, from time to time the days were too long or complicated to manage. When it happened, Korra took her with her. But it also happened that the young Avatar couldn't take care of the little girl either. Then, Opal was in charge of watching her, with good grace, and it didn't bother Isolina too much.

She even came to particularly appreciate these times because, at the end of the day, Reena came home from school and played with her, making her escape the torpor of her lonely boredom. She didn't know if she could call the young airbender her "friend" but, at least, she liked her company.

Besides, the more time passed, the less she wanted to leave when Korra or Asami came to get her. Often, the young women—along with Opal—enjoyed watching them play, finding it adorable.

Asami was particularly proud of Isolina. By befriending Reena, she had also come to meet her brother and sister, with whom she had a cordial relationship. She was neither cold nor affectionate, but Asami took it as a big step forward anyway.

Maintaining this balance in future relationships wouldn't be so bad. If she could make new friends, it would surely help too. After all it had happened once, nothing prevented it from happening again.

Moreover, the school holidays were approaching, and Reena and Isolina ended up spending more time together. So, instead of going to work with the CEO, she was dropped off at the Air Temple to play with her friend almost every day.

Mysteriously, this period of rest and amusement flew by and Isolina quickly found herself alone. The time felt suddenly long, as if it were gripped by a strange languor that even Naga couldn't totally interrupt.

Korra and Asami easily realized that. So, it was decided to shake up their daily life. They decided that one night they would take Isolina to a new activity. And what was great was that, about that time, there was a temporary circus in Republic City!

So, like many people in Republic City, the two young women and the child found themselves in a brightly colored circus tent, in stands, watching funny acts and extraordinary animals.

Isolina was at first a little uncomfortable among the crowd, but once she was settled in and that the show started, she could only focus on that.

Asami was watching her out of the corner of her eye. She slightly smiled when she saw her eyes widen and her mouth open a little when seeing the most incongruous bending abilities. The blue-eyed girl was struggling to stand still: she was hopping on the spot, enjoying the show with a vague excitement. Sometimes, she pointed at something and said: "Did you see? Did you see?" Then Asami or Korra smiled or laughed a little, shaking their head, and Isolina returned to her astonishment, waiting impatiently for the rest of the show.

The clowns, the trapeze artists, the benders went by, then it was time for the animals to entertain the crowd: ostrich-horses, platypus bears and elephantigers...

The ostrich-horses paraded, the platypus bears tried to look nice, and the elaphantigers did circus tricks. After all, it was interesting to see such an enormous animal going through blazing circles. The tamer did his best to impress the spectators, approaching the animals as if they were going to eat him, cracking his whip to give himself a little presence and give orders to the beasts—who even obeyed without it. Then, finally, it was finished.

It was over and, strangely, Isolina was far less happy than she had been during the show. She seemed tense and elsewhere.

Asami wondered about it, but thought it was because of the crowd. Indeed, everyone was jostling out of their seat and rushing to the exits, as if they wanted to get home the fastest possible. Several times she and Korra were shoved or bumped into people, so much that, afraid of losing Isolina in this enormous mob, Korra took her on her shoulders to get home.

They then arrived at the satomobile (they had left Naga to sleep at home) and went back to the mansion. While the two young women thought that Isolina was going to talk about what she had seen with the fervent enthusiasm she had expressed during the evening, she just looked out the window, being elsewhere.

The two young women glanced at each other, then Korra asked:

"So, Isolina, what did you think?"

The little girl, still looking through the window of the car, didn't answer. Korra frowned: had she not heard? She looked at Asami, who shrugged.

"Isolina?" Korra asked, looking at her.

But she still had no answer. So she airbent a little breeze of air towards Isolina, enough to get her out of her imaginary world. The latter jumped, looking more frightened than necessary. Really, she had to think very hard.

"Are you ok?" the Avatar asked, a little worried anyway.

The little girl looked like she was panicking for a moment, a flash of fear crossing her deep blue eyes. But she ended up nodding with hesitation.

"Are you sure?"

Isolina nodded two more times, more vigorously this time, before going back to staring at the window. Korra and Asami looked at each other again, both frowning. Was Isolina going to act silent again?

Korra wondered if she should insist further, but Asami, who read it in her eyes, shook her head. The young woman decided to ignore completely the meaning of this gesture. She sent air to Isolina.

"Hey, I wanted to know what you thought about it. Was it good or not?"

Isolina looked at her, a little confused. She opened her mouth without any sound coming out of it, then closed it.

"Yes, that was fine," she finally said, impassive, looking outside again.

Well, apparently, she was not in the mood to talk. Korra repositioned herself in her seat, seeing Asami's disapproving expression as she did so. She shrugged and looked out too: it was dark night as far as she could see, except for the few lights of the city. What could be so interesting outside? Ultimately, not much.

Even once they were home, Isolina didn't say a word and went straight to bed. The two young women didn't even need to tell her that she shouldn't play with Naga at this late hour, since she didn't even pay attention to the polar bear dog and directly in bed, looking at the window. She fell asleep shortly after.

The two women left her alone and went to their room. It was late, but they didn't have to work the next day. So, they decided to talk a little about Isolina.

"Don't you think she's weird?" Korra asked, sitting cross-legged on the bed.

"Yes, a little," Asami admitted, removing her makeup. "But it's not like she hasn't already behaved this way before. She may be upset and it will be better tomorrow."

"I hope... But... I don't know, there's something that bothers me."

"Korra, let her sleep, we'll see tomorrow if it's better or not."

The Avatar sighed before falling on the bed.

"You are right. I'm probably worried for nothing," she said.

"For once, it's not me," said the young woman with green eyes, making fun of the other woman.

Her wife was going to reply with a sarcastic "ha ah...", but a sudden cry interrupted their conversation. They glanced at each other, then Korra jumped out of bed and headed for Isolina's room, immediately followed by Asami.

When they entered, they heard Naga's little whines as she was trying to comfort the little girl. The latter was sitting on her bed, loudly crying, her hands hiding her face. The two women sat on each side of the bed. The CEO tried to take Isolina in her arms to console her, and the little girl jumped, moving away from her, almost fighting to do so.

"Isolina, Isolina, it's me," Asami reassured her, trying to keep her against her.

The girl finally calmed down and, although she was still resisting the embrace, she nevertheless accepted the small circles that the green-eyed woman drew on the lower back. This part of her back wasn't scared like the rest... Still, even if the touch was _a priori_ inoffensive, Isolina was tense.

"What's up, little puppy? Did you have a nightmare?" the blue-eyed woman asked.

The little girl answered only by more tears that kept flowing down her face and incessant whimpers.

It had been a long time, though... She hadn't had a nightmare from which she woke up screaming, for a few weeks. And it rarely happened that she began to cry and to be so shaken. What could have happened?

They weren't lucky enough to get an answer because at this question, because, once she calmed down, Isolina went back to sleep without another word. Naga had also done the same, and Korra and Asami got back to their room.

"I really hope it'll be better tomorrow," the Avatar said, putting herself under the covers.

"Me too," her wife replied, though she was much more unsure of it now. "Me too… "

And both troubled, they fell asleep.

* * *

Yet, the next day, the day after, and the week after, nothing changed. Of course, Isolina didn't have nightmares every night, or at least she didn't wake up with a jump, crying. But it happened to her three times this week.

She was strange, she was still elsewhere, living in another world. The slightest thing was enough to make her afraid, it was almost impossible to get a laugh or a smile from her, and she deliberately limited her contacts with anyone. So, she decided to go to work with Asami instead of going to the Air Temple, where she could play with Reena at the end of the day.

The young CEO was distraught, and so was Korra. It looked like the little girl had mysteriously regressed in no time, as if, in a time jump, they had gone back to the first days they had spent together. The two young women wondered if it wasn't worse than before. Certainly, Isolina still communicated with them, but it was limited. At least, she didn't try to suppress every single way for them to reach out to her. But they felt like they had lost the little girl whom they had come to know and love.

So, the two young women tried to bring her back to a happier state, to her childish—and _normal—_ joy. However, playing with Naga didn't make her feel better, wandering in the city only interested her because she could stare into space, and she no longer wanted to waterbend, nor heal anyone. She was empty of all desire, all pleasure. The things she had previously been interested in were insipid and unattractive to her. And the two young women didn't know how to fix it.

So, they thought that maybe her new friends could help her. After all, Reena had made her come out of her shell once. Maybe she could start again?

So, one weekend, they decided to go to the Air Temple. It was nice, although a bit cold. They got in, where Reena waited impatiently. (She was pretending to be meditating because her mother had asked her to calm down, but it was because she had missed Isolina greatly! How was she supposed to be even a little bit calm?) So, as soon as she heard the door slide, she stood up in no time, almost running towards the other little girl. But her mother held her back, and Reena groaned in frustration.

The adults greeted each other and chatted slightly, but the young airbender didn't pay attention to them. She just observed Isolina, who was staring at the floor, head down and arms hanging down. Reena was curious but also uncomfortable. She didn't understand that dark look that her friend had, that strange aura that emanated from her. So when she was finally allowed to go play, she hesitated to approach her.

She walked over to Isolina, trying to read her expression, but she only saw emptiness in the blue eyes. Her hand got closer to hers, she shuddered a bit as she hesitated to take it—usually, she never hesitated, though. Finally, she decided to put a hand on her shoulder, and Isolina looked up at her, giving her a slight smile. Mysteriously, Reena was sadder than anything else; surely because of this strange burden that seemed to weigh on the young child. She then went out of the room, and Isolina followed quietly.

When they were gone, Korra and Asami sighed.

"She's weird with her too," said the blue-eyed woman.

"That's for sure," mumbled his wife.

Confused, Opal asked for explanations and the other two women began to explain their current problem. The pale green-eyed woman listened to them, nodding from time to time. Then, when she noticed that the subject dragged on and that her friends kept wearing this gloomy expression, she ended up saying, coming out of nowhere:

"Why don't you go out a bit?"

"Huh?"

"Have you two taken a little time for yourselves since Isolina has been with you? Because it doesn't look like it. You could go for a walk in town, eat ice cream, go shopping, or whatever."

"We won't leave you alone to watch the kids," Asami objected.

"Of course you will. Don't act like a fool. Bolin is there, and it's not like the Air Temple Island were empty. Come on, shoo!"

"But…"

"No buts. Korra, I warn you, if you don't take her with you, I'll airbend her out of here myself!"

"Okay, okay, let's go," the Avatar gave up, taking the CEO's arm and pulling her out.

"Jeez, Korra!" the latter was offended.

"Believe me, **honey** , it's better not to be against Opal. Plus, she is right, it will do us good."

Asami looked at Korra, then sighed.

"All right," she said, heading for the exit. "See you later."

"See you later!" the airbender sang, proudly.

Thus, the two women left the Island to go towards the center of the city. They found a café and sat on the terrace, breathing in the fresh air of autumn. They said nothing for a moment, just watching the animation of the street: the passers-by, the cars…

"Really, Opal exaggerates," the CEO finally blurted.

"Not really. It's true that it's been a long time since we've spent time together," says Korra.

"Well, that's right, but in the current state of Isolina, I do not think it's the best timing possible."

"She truly worries me… At least she eats and sleeps…"

"Yeah, well, she sleeps… We can't say that it is the greatest sleep ever either."

"That's for sure."

Then, Korra winced.

"Say, what about we stop talking about Isolina? I'm pretty sure that if Opal sent us here it's just to relax and think about something else."

"You're right. What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know…" Korra moaned.

Asami kept looking down the street while she was searching, like the blue-eyed woman, for a topic of conversation that did not concern Isolina. It limited the list of subjects pretty quickly, since the little girl was almost always with them.

"Ah, I know!" Korra finally exclaimed, beginning to talk about this old building that had resisted all the attacks of Republic City and was about to collapse due to a misplaced squall from an airbender.

The discussion continued for a few minutes until Korra said:

"Besides, it reminds me of the time when with Isolina…"

She stopped at the little girl's name with a "uh..." and her wife raised an eyebrow, before starting to chuckle.

"What? What's the matter?" the blue-eyed woman asked, getting irritated.

"You really can't help it," her wife made fun of her, bursting out laughing.

The Avatar looked vexed for a moment, then she laughed too. They ended up both laughing for several minutes, which brought tears to their eyes and attracted the curious glances of city-dwellers, who were somewhat infected with their laughter. They knew it wasn't a laugh out of joy or amusement, but rather a laugh for them to release the pressure, a laugh that was a little nervous, but also full of awareness.

"I think we're done for," Korra finally said. "This kid will have ended up having us!"

They finally calmed down, and Asami smiled, a little sadly to tell the truth.

"We knew that we needed not to get attached to her, though," she said.

Korra shook her head with a tense smile.

"Yes, we knew," she said. "But it's been a while since she's with us now... We ended up getting used to her…"

"Sadly."

"Sadly?"

"The situation hasn't changed, Korra. She will eventually leave."

The Avatar nodded seriously, looking at the sky.

"I wonder what her parents are doing anyway. It's weird that Lin hasn't found them after all this time."

"Yes, it's weird…"

In the end, the two women stayed at this terrace for another long hour, then they went for a walk in Republic City, enjoying their time together. They only returned to the Air Temple when the sun began to set.

There, Isolina and Reena patiently waited for them, caressing Pabu. Opal watched them while chatting with an Air Acolyte. When they arrived, Isolina didn't really react. She seemed maybe a little happier. But it was strange, because her eyes were slightly red.

"She cried?" Asami asked Opal once she had finished her conversation.

"I don't know. They refused to tell me what had happened. I think so, but Reena said it was because she had a wind squall in her face. Which I never doubted was false, but anyway."

"I see…"

Asami headed for Isolina and kneeled next to her.

"Hi, sweetie. Do you want us to go back home? It's almost time to eat and go to bed."

The young woman almost expected that Isolina wouldn't answer her. But on the contrary, her blue eyes turned to her and she threw herself into her arms.

"Hey, hey, are you alright, Isolina?" Asami asked gently, hugging her.

"I love you" was the only answer that the blue-eyed little girl was willing to give. She remained there, against Asami, who didn't really know whether she was crying or not with her head buried in her clothes.

"Well… we'll go," Korra spoke.

They went back home, and the day ended. Tomorrow would be a new day. A new day for Isolina to be a little better—or at least, she hoped.

Only the weekend ended, and there was no real noticeable change, so much that Korra and Asami decided that if they didn't manage to do anything for her at the end of the following week, it might be time to go back to see a specialist. Obviously, that would be the only way to help her, to their greatest displeasure.

* * *

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday passed and nothing changed. Isolina looked a little less dark than before she saw Reena, but she still had that strange, heavy aura following her.

Thursday also passed, and on Friday, Asami was fed up. So, after she and Isolina came back from work, when the girl ran at full speed in his room, Asami joined her.

"Don't you want to do something while waiting for Korra and Naga to come home?" the young green-eyed woman asked, leaning against the doorway.

The little girl shook her head, sitting on her bed staring at the sheets.

"Are you sure? It could clear your mind a little."

But there was no answer. Asami sighed and walked over to Isolina, sitting next to her on the bed.

"Do you want us to talk? I would like you to talk to me, Isolina. I don't know how you are going right now. You don't look good, but I don't know why. You don't smile anymore, you don't laugh anymore, it's sad, don't you think?"

The blue-eyed little girl looked up at Asami, opened her mouth, closed it again, looked at the sheets again, then raised her head. There, she looked at the young woman and tried a forced smile.

Asami appreciated the effort. Sincerely. But that wasn't what she was looking for. She didn't want Isolina to pretend to be happy in front of her, just because she wanted to please her. She wanted her to feel happy, to be happy, fulfilled. She wanted to see her smile widely and laugh loudly. But she couldn't have that. Not at that moment, apparently. Unless…

Suddenly, a stupid idea crossed her mind. But an idea that could work. It was tempting.

Then, suddenly, taking the girl by surprise, she began to attack her with tickling. At first, Isolina was surprised and struggled, but she finally gave in and laughed heartily. It was as if she hadn't heard that laugh for ages; a real laugh, a beautiful laugh, a wonderful and lively laugh.

"Sttt-oo-stopp-op," Isolina finally stammered a little later, the words tangled with her laughter.

"No way. It'll make up for these last two weeks!"

She did her best to tickle her, and after a few minutes the little girl was out of breath and had joyful tears in her eyes. Asami was having a lot of fun. The expression on her face, painted with bright and vivid colors of joy, was too good to disappear so quickly.

"Stop!" Isolina tried again, trying to handle her breath and her voice as best as possible. "Stop that! Mum!"

Black. Sudden pause. Terrifying and violent damper.

Asami had stopped, like her thoughts, her heart, her world. She took a few seconds to be able to assimilate what had happened, a few long seconds that looked like eternity. But finally, in this gigantic breaker, she managed to hang on to a branch, a word, a single word.

Mum.

That's what she said, wasn't it? Why? Asami didn't understand. She didn't understand this chain of events. Assuredly Isolina hadn't called her that ... right? She had parents. And what if... all this, her behavior, her nightmares, her solitude... It finally became unbearable, right? She was missing her parents too much.

And to say that she was satisfied to believe that she was fine with Korra and her. But obviously, it couldn't stay that way. They had to find them, or Isolina would live unhappy. She should have realized the urgency of the situation before. She had been stupid to take pleasure in this momentary happiness. It was not hers, she didn't have the right to do so.

When her thoughts ceased overflowing and she refocused on the young child, the latter was staring at her with a questioning look. Asami just stroked her cheek with both a tender and sad look.

"I'm sorry I'm not your mum," she told her.

She was sorry for Isolina who found a poor imitation of her mother in her, who had to settle for that and suffer from a painful hole. She was sorry for herself, because she truly loved Isolina and would have liked to be able to raise her, love her, help her, and so much more.

"Why?" Isolina asked.

"Why?..." the young woman repeated, not understanding the question.

"Why can't you be my mum?"

"I... I don't know…"

Asami had said it without thinking about it. She knew exactly why she couldn't be her mother: she had relatives, somewhere, who were waiting for her. Had she forgotten? What was the meaning of these questions?

Asami didn't understand, she didn't understand so much that she was unable to continue the conversation. And in front of the insistent and inquiring look of Isolina, she fled, pretexting to have things to do in the kitchen. Because after all, someone had to cook... at one time or another.

* * *

Korra didn't return too late, or at least that was what she thought. Only when she heard someone cutting in the kitchen, she wondered if she actually didn't get back later than what she had planned. She ended up looking at the clock while she was heading to the kitchen: it was barely six o'clock. It was strange that Asami was preparing dinner so early…

When she arrived in the kitchen and saw her wife's face, she quickly realized why she was cooking — at least part of it.

"What did these vegetables do to you?" the blue-eyed woman joked, watching the killer look that her wife was giving them and hearing her grumble inaudibly.

But too focused on the murder — or torture, at this point — of the poor zucchinis, the CEO didn't even notice that her wife was in the same room. Thinking it might be time to stop the disaster, the Avatar moved toward her and put a hand on the pale hand that held the knife, getting behind Asami's back.

Jumping, she cut itself and cursed:

"Korra! What's up with you arriving like this!"

"I spoke to you, but you didn't hear me."

"That's not a reason! Oh, fuck, I'm spilling blood everywhere!"

"What a nice language," Korra noticed, knowing full well that it wasn't like Asami to get carried away and use a vocabulary a little too familiar. "Show me."

She took her hands and used water from the faucet to heal a medium cut on her palm.

"So, what happened?" the Avatar asked, while she was healing.

"Not much," Asami sighed.

"Not much, but it upsets you a whole lot. So?"

"It's Isolina…"

"It's still not better? You really don't want her to see a new psychologist, so it makes you worry?"

"No, no… It's… not that…"

"So what? Do I really need to harass you to get the answers?"

"I... We... discussed... And I didn't understand everything, but I think she called me… 'mum'."

"Oh…"

"Yeah…"

There was a strange silence, a little tense, a little embarrassed.

"Well, it's... new," Korra said. "For a start, she spoke to you, that's good."

"I know, but I think I messed up. I panicked and left. But I don't understand, Korra. If... if she really thinks I'm her mother, what about her life before? She just forgot about it?"

"We should ask her."

"I know but…"

"Do you want me to go talk to her?" Korra suggested, seeing her wife's distress.

"Yes, please. Try to see if she's angry. And if you understand something... tell me."

"Okay. I'm doing it quickly," she said, kissing her lips. "Try not to kill too many vegetables in the meantime."

She winked at her, but the CEO barely had the strength to smile.

Korra chose not to care for now. She climbed quickly into Isolina's room. She slightly knocked before entering. Of course, Naga had already found the way to the little girl's room and took the opportunity to be pampered.

The Avatar sat down on the bed with Isolina, who had Naga's head on her legs.

"Hello, little puppy. How are you?"

"I'm fine," Isolina replied bitterly.

"You look as good as Asami, how surprising... When the two of you fight..."

The little girl says nothing; she had nothing to say.

"Ok..." Korra said, feeling that it was going to be a little complicated. "Asami told me what happened, want to tell me about it?"

"Don't need to."

"But I would like to know what you think."

"Why does Asami not want to be my mom?" Isolina asked, looking at Korra with her puppy eyes.

"At least, it's straightforward," the young woman muttered, before resuming more clearly. "I don't think that Asami doesn't want to be your mum. It's just that it's complicated."

"Why?"

"Why? Er, well, because you have not always lived with Asami and I... Do you remember how it was before?"

"Yes…" the little girl answered, suddenly becoming dark.

"And you don't want it to be like before?"

"No…"

No? What was "no" supposed to mean? Korra didn't understand…. either. She suddenly understood why Asami was so pensive. She probably would have been in the same situation. Too dumbfounded by Isolina's answer, she only managed to stammer:

"You... No? Oh, well, alright... But... what do you want then, Isolina?"

"I want Asami to be my mum!" the little girl exclaimed, determined and capricious.

"Right..."

Korra started to ponder. This conversation was stuck... Apparently, Isolina had already thought about all this and had made a conclusion: Asami had to be her mother. And Korra couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't speak for Asami and she doubted she could even reason a little the little girl, or even understand her.

So, the best thing to do was for the two of them to talk to each other, because obviously she couldn't get any further. Asami could explain to her if it was possible or not, because right now Korra was lost.

"Look, I'm going to get Asami, and you two are going to talk about, okay?"

Isolina nodded seriously, as if her life depended on Korra's actions. The Avatar was impressed by the ferociousness of her will. It was admirable. It was not something she had decided lightly, even for a five-year-old. Well, six now.

Korra came back downstairs and she found Asami, leaning against the bench, watching a cooking pot.

"So?" she asked her, as soon as she saw her enter her field of vision.

"So, you'll have to talk to her, because obviously, she decided that you should be her mother."

"But where on the Earth does that come from?"

"You're not going to make me believe that you wouldn't want her to be your daughter anyway?"

"But... that's beside the point! I don't have any hidden children or something! She, on the other end, has parents."

"Well, I'll let you explain, because it didn't look like she was very open to the discussion with me. Her only answer was you, all the time. So, I think you're the only one who can handle it."

"Thank you, _dear_. Really," Asami said sarcastically, removing her apron which was stained from the blood of her vegetable-victims.

"Of course. You know I love being able to help!" Korra replied with a smirk.

"Yes, well, speaking of helping, watch that so that it doesn't get burned while I discuss. I'll try not to take too long. Then, if it goes on forever, just take them out of the fire."

"I'm not completely stupid, you know."

"Thank you!" Asami said, kissing her quickly.

She then went up to join Isolina's room. She stopped at the door of the room, and hesitated before entering. She was nervous. Nervous to talk to a six-year-old… But she couldn't make any mistake. She had to make Isolina understand without hurting her—especially not hurting her. Then, she took a deep breath, then knocked slightly.

"May I?" she asked, even though she knew that Isolina was expecting her to come.

The little girl didn't answer, but the young woman came in anyway, watching Isolina caressing Naga without paying attention to her for a few seconds. It was almost ok for her to stay like this. Almost. Because they had to talk.

She asked Naga to leave, before settling down in front of Isolina, cross-legged, on the bed.

"So... do you want us to talk again about what you told me earlier?" the young woman with green eyes suggested, despite her nervousness. "I know I was rather evasive, and I'm sorry. I was surprised, that's all."

"Why don't you want to be my mom?" Isolina asked again.

Asami grimaced. There was nothing in the world she wished for the most. And she had to make her understand that without giving her any false hope. She remained calm when she told her:

"It's not that I don't want to, Isolina. I _can't_ be your mum."

"Why not?"

Asami took the young child's hands in hers.

"You already have parents, Isolina. We'll find them, remember?"

Asami remembered it. And it hurt to remember, so she wanted to erase this information from her memory. But she couldn't fool herself anymore. The situation was too critical now. Isolina couldn't stay with them if she was thinking about giving up on her true parents.

"No," Isolina simply replied.

"No? No what? You don't remember?"

"No, we won't find them," Isolina bitterly said, making a ball with her fist and lowering her head.

"Yes, we'll find them, sweetie," she reassured her, even if it was killing her to do so. "I know it's been a long time, but we'll find them."

"No, we can't!" Isolina lost her temper, her voice breaking and her shout filled with despair.

A shiver ran through Asami's spine. She was silent and looked closely at Isolina. She had never seen her so painfully tense. Her hair was hiding her face, her head lowered. Her body was violently trembling. All her being leak the struggle (she didn't know whether it was because of emotions or memories).

Asami usually rushed to console her, but now... she wanted to get to the bottom of it. There was something. A truth she didn't know and that had led them here. Isolina's behavior lately, the fact that she wanted her to be her mother, her reaction when they talked about her parents… There was logic, but what?

"What do you mean 'we can't'? What does that mean?" Asami tried to understand.

"We can't find them," she weakly answered.

She heard Isolina sniffing, and she didn't know whether she was crying or not. She couldn't see whether she was crying or not. The little girl refused to look at her. Asami wanted to get closer, to take her in her arms, to tell her that everything would be fine, but... she couldn't. Not yet. She had to find out why she was crying.

"Why can't we find them?" she questioned her. "We can always find people. They must be somewhere."

"No! No, they are…"

As the young woman waited and apprehended the answer, the little girl stopped, as if the words were stuck inside of her throat, unable to go out without disappearing. So, even though she hated it, Asami took her courage in both hands to push Isolina a little further. She had never been so close to knowing what had happened.

"Where are they, Isolina? I need to know where your parents are."

"They are…"

Asami waited impatiently for the end of this sentence. Her heart was madly beating in her chest and she could hear her blood pounding in her ears. She needed this answer: it was both a deliverance and a burden. It was necessary for Isolina to answer for once. Necessary.

The little girl suddenly raised her head: tears flooded her face. She freed her hands from Asami's and began to hit her chest with her little fists and the strength of despair.

"They are dead!" she finally screamed, completely breaking down.

The tears covering her face were no longer allowing her to see anything or hear anything.

She continued to hit Asami, as if it were her fault, as if she had to suffer as much as her.

The young woman was stunned. She didn't even try to block Isolina's blows, to stop this surging of violence. She wasn't really harming her anyway. So, she let her unwind, trying to absorb the shock.

Dead… They were dead?

Asami couldn't help feeling a hint of relief buried in the horror of the situation. If Isolina's parents were dead, she only had Korra and her, only this life she had been living for months in Republic City.

But... were they really dead? Was it a pure invention from Isolina? She wanted so much to put the past behind her, to make Asami her new mother; hadn't she invented all of it so that her request was to be accepted?

How could she know if they were dead? Had she seen them die? Before her eyes… At five years old... Five years old: it was one year less than Asami's age when her own mother died. It was horrible, awful, inconceivable.

After a while, Isolina calmed down a little, her blows were weaker, until she simply collapsed on Asami, keeping on crying her eyes out. The young woman instinctively put a reassuring hand on the little girl's back, which was shaken by jolts. She felt the scars there. The proof. The proof that indeed something had happened.

Then, she couldn't refrain from asking the burning and frightful question she hadn't been able to ask until then—out of fear or simply cowardice:

"Isolina... what happened to you?"

She thought she would have no answer, that Isolina would ignore her. She wouldn't have the strength to ask her again, she wasn't even sure she wanted to know, to understand the horror she had had to live.

But instead, the little girl stared at her with her teary, reddened eyes of hers, climbed on her, sat down against her, looking out the window, and started talking.

Asami didn't know which miracle allowed Isolina and her to get to the end of the story...

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! What did you think? I would be glad to hear about your thoughts! Or some new theories? Feel free to leave any kind of review, anyway.**

 **And sorry for the cliffhanger xD Just... I planned it that way. Don't hate me x)**

 **Like I said on the other side, I want to finish this story by the end of August. So, maybe I'll post more regularly, ok? I'll try at least! I think the end would be around chapter 20, so... almost over?**

 **Anyway, see you next time!**

 **Lion**

* * *

 **Answers reviews:**

 **firekovu : Hey!**

 **Thank you for your nice and long review! The character of Isolina is a little... controversed... Let's say that her "smart and cunning" side is a little too much for a five/six-year-old sometimes xD But I'm glad you like it!**

 **And yeah, the dialogue concerning being friends or not was a lot of fun. But it was also very important to me, because I thought like you: when you are a kid, you don't ask, you just are around people you like.**

 **I hope you'll like this chapter as well! See you next time! :D**

 **Lion**


	16. Past — Part One

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **As I said, I'm posting a little sooner than usual. I'll try to do that for the next chapters, but since I didn't even finish chapter 17, I can't promise anything. The only thing that I can promise is that you have a part of Isolina's past right here x) It should be done in two parts, ok?**

 **Just so you know, the long dashes, lines, or whatever you call them mean that more time elapsed that the little ones in the center.**

 **Now, I only hope than you'll like this chapter and…**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"How come they take so long to find the location?"

"I don't know…"

"It is out of the question that such a prodigy escapes us, you hear me!"

"I know! But I can't do anything about it!"

Interrupting the conversation of the two men, two individuals entered the dark and orderly office. A faint light flooded the room, tickling the curtains of flames and the varnished wood of the various pieces of furniture.

The man behind the desk then looked back at the two newcomers and greeted them.

"Dasuke, Hae, it's good to see you again."

"The pleasure is ours, chief," they said, leaning down to greet him with respect.

"I'll need you. A bunch of idiots don't manage to bring us our last target, I'm counting on you to help them."

"Of course. What information do we have?"

"An earthbender, about 16 years old. It seems that he can shake the earth with the power of his mind."

"Interesting…"

"Right? We would like to recruit him. You know what to do?"

"Yes."

The chief gave them more specific information about the work they had to do, including what area this incredible bender was, then they discussed a little more casually. After a while, the chief dismissed them.

"If we may, we would have another request," Dasuke informed before leaving.

"Go ahead."

"I'd like this mission to be the last before my child's birth," Hae said. "I don't want it to be hurt by a fight, and as there are only a few months left…"

"Oh, of course. Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A girl, I think…"

"And you already know how you're going to call her? "

Hae nodded, gently caressing her round belly.

"Isolina."

* * *

"Isolina, come on, come here, come to see daddy! "

Dangling dangerously, the two-year-old girl advanced toward her father's open arms. No sooner was she at hand than he took her in his arms, making her fly through the air. The child laughed, chirping slightly.

"Be careful, Dasuke," Hae warned.

He calmed a little and came to kiss his wife.

"I'm careful," he replied. "I could never hurt our little wonder, you know it."

"Mmm... So, did the mission go well?"

"It was a week of tracking; how do you want it to go wrong?"

"It's still possible. Did you find something interesting?"

"False alarm: a magician who used tips and tricks to make his bending look spectacular. It's not tips and tricks that will stop the Avatar."

"I know."

"What about you, something interesting?"

"In fact, yes."

She reached out and took Isolina in her arms. The latter, who was playing with her father's cheeks, let go and preferred putting her fingers in her mouth.

"Do you want to show Dad what you can do?" Hae asked.

"Yes!" the child replied, enthusiastic.

Her mother then put her down and Isolina ran to the kitchen, before returning to the living room where her two parents were waiting for her. Dasuke wondered what she wanted to show him and looked questioningly at his wife, but she mouthed a "wait".

The little girl came back with a bottle of water that she opened with her tiny hands. Her father looked at her, curious, and raised an eyebrow. His curiosity was quickly satisfied. Soon, the child began to play with the water from the bottle: she had poured a little on the ground and was splashing it as if she were playing with a puddle. Little balls of water started bouncing as if they were on a trampoline. And they went up and up before Isolina stopped her movements and then they all fell like a curtain of rain.

"Tadaa!" the child said, raising her hands (which were dry).

Her father smiled and took her in his arms, tickling her a little on the sides, which caused some laughs from the child.

"So, what? My little girl is a waterbender? You little scamp!"

The child laughed, then her father laid her down. After that, she ran a little around the water poured on the ground, having fun to move it a little like waves.

"The only thing that worries me," Hae said, "is that it's very early to bend an element…"

"And so what? Are you afraid that she is a little prodigy? She will do better in life that way."

"But what life?"

"What are you talking about?"

"No, it's nothing... Let's forget it. She may be just early."

Hae went back to the kitchen and said that they were going to eat soon, and Dasuke thoughtfully watched Isolina play with droplets. Since when was it wrong to bend?

* * *

"Isolina, are you coming to eat?" her mother asked.

"Not hungry," the child replied.

She had barely returned, and without another word, she went to her room, closing the door behind her. Dasuke, who was bringing her back home, closed the door of the house before crashing into a soft chair. He was exhausted.

"She is not hungry? Is she sick?" Hae worried, wondering if her husband had noticed anything unusual about the child.

"I don't think so," he replied.

"Did something happen at work?"

"I had her kept by our colleagues…"

"What? I told you hundreds of times not to take your eyes off her!"

"I didn't have a choice! You were spying and I had to manage a team, but there was an unexpected event and the chief sent me to the other side of the coast. I had to cross everything without a vehicle, I was nearly eaten by a whale-killer, all of that to find myself fighting with bandits as uninteresting as possible. I couldn't take her with me!"

"Did your colleagues tell you what they did with her?"

"Waterbending, apparently…"

"I feel like these kinds of things happen more and more often currently…"

"What kinds of things?"

"You or I who are sent on missions that are worthless and Isolina who is watched by some colleagues or by the chief, and they mysteriously end up doing waterbending…"

"Do you think they're interested in her? Aren't you a little paranoid? It's our daughter, remember?"

"That's what worries me…"

Dasuke thought for a moment. It had been a year since Isolina started waterbending and her talents were affirmed and refined. She was early, certainly, but wasn't an overpowered bender. She wouldn't interest them. And even if she would, it was for the good cause... right?

"Isolina, that's enough, stop!"

The little girl couldn't hear. She continued her infernal whim, smashing everything to pieces with her ice whip. Her mother was trying to bend her daughter's water whip, but there was an incredible resistance that only allowed her to cushion the damages.

Dasuke, seeing that his wife couldn't calm the child, thought it would be better to act with a little more power. He waterbent a barrier of ice around Isolina, isolating her more and more, until she was in a thick, almost soundproof, ice prison.

"You calm down or you don't go out of there!" his father growled, his voice strong and grave.

The little girl glared at him and screamed, which made the ice melt and instantly turned it into vapor. Then, all of a sudden, thousands of ice needles were thrown across the room.

"Careful!" Dasuke exclaimed.

Very quick, he took the table and threw himself in front of his wife, protecting them from the capricious attacks of their daughter. When he lowered it, hundreds of deadly ice picks were planted in the table several inches thick. Without this table, they might both be dead...

They gave each other a horrible look: terribly frightened, absolutely helpless. But soon, they pulled themselves together and Hae went to calm her daughter, while Dasuke removed all the potential weapons from the room.

Several hours later, the girl was sleeping, calmed, and the house was tidy. Hae threw herself on a couch, exhausted by the hours of cleaning and ordering. Dasuke, just as exhausted, looked at the wall, his gaze vague and pensive.

"Can we worry now?" Hae asked.

Dasuke looked up at her, and nodded, looking serious.

"I think we'll have to, indeed..."

The oens who were looking for the most powerful benders in the world had ironically given birth to one of them. But that was not necessarily a good thing, now…

* * *

"Isolina..."

Seeing the scowl on her daughter's face, Hae didn't even finish her sentence and let her go to her room. She sighed, then stared intently at her husband who was on the chair, his back arched, and in full reflection.

"How long was it this time?" she asked.

"Five hours."

"They trained her for five hours!" the mother choked.

"I don't know if they trained her for five hours, but I do know that I left her to them for five hours, and I couldn't do anything."

"I know…"

Dasuke and Hae remained silent for a moment, both thinking about the situation.

It was hellish. The organization was always spending more and more time with Isolina. The latter was withdrawing into herself and was beginning to move away from them. She came home exhausted, probably because of intensive training they were not aware of. They wanted to train her, her parents were almost certain. To claim her to be theirs and to make her an instrument of war, like the others. An instrument of power.

They had contributed to that. But to see it inflicted on their own child, still so young and frail... They couldn't bear it. And the organization knew it. A few days ago, Dasuke realized that they were being tracked, watched, preventing them from running away if the thought crossed their minds.

They were trapped...

"Dasuke..." Hae began.

"I think it's time," the latter said, looking up at her determinedly.

They both knew what they were talking about. They could no longer see Isolina suffering like this. She did not deserve such a cruel future. She deserved what the other children deserved: love and carelessness. She was so young... They had to protect her, even if it would cost them everything they had.

* * *

Dasuke took on a backpack, turning to his wife who was dressing a sleepy Isolina.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Are you sure it's the right time?" his wife checked.

"Yes."

She nodded, then put Isolina in his arms.

"Let's go," she said, determined.

"Where are we going, Mum?" Isolina asked.

"A place where you'll be fine... A place where we'll be fine."

She kissed her daughter one last time, before opening the door for her husband to get out. She got ahead of them a little bit, watching the surroundings and opening the way for her laden husband.

He carried with him their daughter, the most important thing in the world for them; and also some provisions because they didn't know how long the journey would be before the organization lost their trace.

Dasuke had made sure they wouldn't be followed. But they knew very well that part of the organization was secret and that everything about Isolina and the surveillance of their family was part of a closed and very mysterious file, to which they had absolutely no access.

Running away this way was risky, almost suicidal, but did they have a choice? All Hae could do was make sure her family had a clear way to flee. She was after all a peerless spy.

But as good of a spy she was, she didn't realize the presence of a man next to her, until he attacked her directly. A giant mountain rose from behind a tree trunk, throwing a huge rock on her. The mother barely had time to react.

She was about to face him, but suddenly two other benders surrounded her: a firebender and another earthbender. On the lookout, Hae was quick to dodge their various attacks and replicate with the water she was carrying with her.

She managed to be close enough to the firebender to strangle him with a rope of ice. She barely had time to finish the job that the earthbender rooted her to the spot thanks to her earthbending. No more way to move!

She was in a bad situation... A very bad one... She was hoping for one thing, that nothing happened to Dasuke and Isolina.

—

Dasuke was a little worried, since it's been a while he last saw his wife. He knew hiding was her thing, but he would almost have liked to be with her to make sure she was fine.

However, he began to doubt she was actually fine when four benders bumped into him. At that moment, he was more anxious for the child in his arm than he was for his wife. Isolina was a little sleepy. He was going to have to wake her up... But he didn't have the time to do so as the first attacks started: two firebenders and two earthbenders.

He dodged for a moment, trying to protect Isolina. The latter panicked, not understanding what was happening.

"Isolina, hide," his father ordered.

He made sure that she had heard, and then freed her so that she could escape the fight. The little girl ran until she was out of breath, and soon her father lost sight of her, just like one of the four assailants. He had surely followed his daughter, that bastard! He had to finish quickly before he kidnapped her!

He took out two whips of water from two gourds and threw himself against his opponents furiously. None of the fireballs reached him, fainting when they touched the water in his hands. He grabbed the firebenders by the ankles with the water and hit them with each other. They fainted. Just one left!

The earthbender stared at him with disdain and rage. He hit the ground with one foot before throwing stones at him. Dasuke began to avoid them, then moving closer, he made a shield of ice in front of him to reach the earthbender, who kept assaulting him with earthy projectiles.

Dasuke ran with his shield, quickly finding himself in front of his assailant. The latter couldn't react as the waterbender split his ice shield into two, striking the earthbender with a sharp icy uppercut. He was instantly KO.

Far from being delighted by such deeds, the father was rather worried about his wife and daughter. He started immediately to run, taking the same direction as Isolina a few minutes before. He was going to find them.

As long as they were fine… As long as they were fine…

—

The little girl was running. To hide. Dad said she had to hide. But where? Where to hide?

She knew she couldn't. Someone was following her, and he was running much faster than she was. She tried to sneak into a bush but, hearing the footsteps approaching without any hesitation, she crawled out to another side and resumed running.

She heard that the person behind her was still following her. Where to go? What to do? She wouldn't shake them off, she knew it. Her four-year-old brain couldn't find any solution, so she kept running, zigzagging, hiding, and then she was stuck.

She was at the foot of a huge mountain, a wall she could not climb. She couldn't turn around, the person following her was on her heels. She turned, and he was there, with a feverish look and a proud, glowing smile.

"Come on, be nice now and come with me," he asked, a bit as if he was trying to lure a frightened kitten.

Isolina was only more frightened. He was coming closer and closer and…

No, she couldn't let him get her. Dad and Mum were waiting for her somewhere.

Then, without thinking, she dug her fingers into the moist soil and pulled two streams of water out of it. She closed her eyes and waved her arms in front of her, making her watery weapons move violently and virulently. When she opened her eyes again, after a strange strangled sound, the man who had followed her fell on his knees to the ground.

She didn't understand why he was making that funny face nor why there was so much red on his clothes, but she couldn't care. He was going to sleep and she could finally go find her parents. So, she stepped over him carefully, a little scared and shaking—she really didn't want him to wake up—before running back to where she had arrived.

—

Dasuke ran like never before. He almost had tears in his eyes since the situation seemed so infernal, unbearable, suffocating.

He was going to find them. Soon. Very soon. First Isolina, then his wife, and they would go far away from all of that.

He didn't have any clue as to where Isolina could be, but... Where did she run to, damn it? It was so dark... Gosh, to hell with the discretion! They were off to a bad start anyway!

"Isolina!" he shouted, desperate.

Barely a few seconds after pronouncing her name, he saw a small familiar shape a few meters away.

"Isolina! Isolina, sweetheart, it's dad."

The little girl ran in his arms.

"It's over, it's over... Where is the man following you?" he asked, surprised that he wasn't with her, or behind her.

Isolina vaguely pointed out a place in the forest. But... nothing was moving there... was he hiding away? It didn't make sense. It was the perfect time to attack. Why did he stop pursuing his daughter? She shook him off? Or... something else had happened?

He wanted to go see, but…

"Where is mum?" the child asked sadly.

At that moment, a terrible scream tore the silence of the dark night.

Hae...

—

Finally, Hae was able to break free by breaking the earth that imprisoned her. She didn't take the risk of attacking the living mountain. Not yet. She ran towards the other earthbender, tripping him with a water whip. The latter, as he was falling, also earthbent the ground beneath her, and she fell head first against it.

She got up quickly, arming herself with a knife of ice, and met the earthbender who was positioning himself to attack her. He didn't manage to finish, as an icy blade pierced his side. Hae quickly removed the blade to inflict a lethal blow, but the ground began to shake, unbalancing her and causing her to fall backwards.

A new rock of an impressive size was launched at her. She rolled and dodged it, throwing ice-spikes at the gigantic-looking man who protected himself with a huge stone slab.

The man she had stabbed, now behind her, had got up with difficulty and was planning on continuing the fight. But she took the water back and turned quickly, cutting his throat with a sharp blade of ice. And that's one! Counting on getting done with the man-mountain, she turned around.

She only saw a large stone slab heading towards her. She wanted to avoid it, but it was too late. She managed to throw her body to the side, but the rock carried her away. She fell heavily to the ground, screaming. The pain was so atrocious, that she cried like never before.

She felt like fainting. She felt dizzy, nauseous, her thoughts clashed, intermingled. And one word kept coming back: "pain".

As she was struggling to remain conscious and keep on fighting—for her husband, for her daughter—, she realized that she had a block of several tons on the pelvis and on the legs—at least it felt like it being as unbearable as it was. She was completely blocked. She couldn't move. She was going to die there, crushed by another stone from the man-mountain. The latter had approached, slowly, with a sadistic smile on his lips. He had been perfectly impassive until then. But there, he leaned down so that she could hear what he had to say to her:

"Revenge is a dish best served cold."

She didn't have very clear thoughts, but she knew exactly who this man was. Dasuke and she had kidnapped him four years ago, as he was planning to take Isolina away from them.

A man who could shake the earth with his mind... He was a simple farmer. He had become a monster because of them. He was walking half-naked to display the hundreds of scars that the organization had given him as a reward for his hard work. Trophies, sacrifices, signs that he belonged to them.

"No one can escape from this hornet's nest," he added, bitterly as he was getting back up. "Except by death."

Then, he raised another big rock, ready to crush once and for all that vermin that had ruined his future. Hae closed her eyes. Karma, she thought. As long as Dasuke and Isolina were safe, she didn't care about what could happen to her. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm sorry," she said to no one in particular.

She waited for her death. She waited for it, but it never came.

She heard a huge thwack that made her open her eyes again.

Dasuke and Isolina had arrived to help her. The little girl immediately came to see her, pulling her arm to get her out of under the huge rock.

"Isolina, stop, it's not possible. I beg you, sweetie, hide yourself."

The little girl ignored her and tried to lift the stone without success. Hae began to cry to see her daughter's efforts to get her out of there. She was proud and completely desperate.

"Isolina, go away," she sobbed, exhausted. "Go away…"

She had no authority before her daughter's unshakable conviction, who nevertheless failed.

Dasuke, on his side, was fighting against the living mountain. He had no idea how to win. Last time, they had needed a few people to do so. The microearthquakes and huge rocks weren't really helping.

He dodged, tried to touch him with water whips, ice picks… He tried to approach to strangle or stab him, but he was much bigger than him physically and could push him away from several meters with a simple slap. It was no use at all.

So, he did the only thing that could be useful: he turned the water into steam. This way, he couldn't see him. It was double-edged because a surprise attack could always happen. And that was precisely the problem.

The earthbender, barefoot, felt the position of his opponent and threw a block of stone at him. Thanks to the steam, Dasuke could foresee it and partially avoid the attack. He was nevertheless thrown several meters behind, emerging from the halo of steam.

Isolina saw it, and shouted: "Dad!" The man stood up and signaled her that he was okay and that she had to go away. The little girl remained frozen, her eyes not leaving her father for a single second.

Dasuke knew he had to win. At all costs. But he also knew that, in order to win, he would have no choice but to kill his opponent. He couldn't just beat him. He was too strong. But… while her daughter was watching… She might be too small to understand, but he would have liked to avoid that.

Only when he saw the giant mountain move closer to him and arm himself with a new rock while the earth was shaking, he didn't think twice.

He waterbent the steam, forming a cocoon around his opponent. The burning cloud entered the earthbender's lungs, invading his organs to expel most of his oxygen. Then, Dasuke turned the steam back into ice, blocking any way of breathing from his opponent. He struggled again and again against asphyxiation. The earth trembled more and more virulently to make Dasuke stop his bending. But he kept going. The earthquakes calmed then, until it disappeared completely: he was dead.

The father kept the ice in his lungs for a few more minutes, making sure the opponent wouldn't survive. He then turned back to Isolina, who was staring at him, wide-eyed. He didn't want her to see that... But did he have a choice?

Ignoring this moral problem for a moment—there were more urgent matters—, Dasuke rushed to Hae and tried, like her daughter, to get her out of the massive rock that pinned her to the earth. But it was too heavy. A normal earthbender would probably not be able to lift it, so what could a simple waterbender even do?

"Dasuke, please go with our daughter," Hae said. "It's useless, I'm stuck. Save your skin!"

"It is out of the question! I won't abandon the mother of my child!" the latter retorted. "There must be a way!"

"There isn't. Leave!"

"No!"

Hae fell silent as Dasuke paced back and forth to find a solution. He was not strong enough against this rock. This man and his bending were superhuman. He was only a simple waterbender. Very trained and powerful, but he didn't have the potential to move this rock.

But Isolina... She was a prodigy. A prodigy poorly trained, certainly. At least they hadn't trained her themselves. But the organization... Maybe she had enough power to help them, to move this damn rock!

With an idea in mind, he crouched down to talk to Isolina.

"Listen, I need you to do something," he told her.

She nodded, willing to do anything to help her parents.

"You're going to get water all around mum and when I tell you, you turn it to ice, okay? It's going to be very hard because we'll have to lift the huge rock. But it will not last very long, just the time I pull her out. Got it?"

Isolina nodded, determined.

"Very well."

They got into position. Isolina made a circle of water around her mother, between the ground and the rock; and Dasuke took his wife from under her armpits in order to pull her out.

"Ok, Isolina, I'll count until three! One… two… three!"

He began to pull his wife, who could only hold back cries of pain and the tears that went with them. It was awful. So awful... She didn't know if she wouldn't rather that they let her die there.

But soon, the weight lightened very slightly. Dasuke felt it and started pulling Hae more, encouraging the young child to continue.

"It's good, Isolina, we're almost there!"

The latter put all her heart and all her strength to the task. Drops of sweat were beading down her face and back. She pushed an invisible force to the sky, trying to increase the volume of the ice again and again so that her mother would be free.

She was in pain, she wanted to let go, she was going to let go, but she held on. She groaned, she blew, gasped, let out a few groans and cries of pain, ready to drop her aching arms like the rest of her body, but gave it up when she heard her mother's voice telling her that she could do it, she could save her.

Then, in a last superhuman effort, she lifted the rock of a few extra millimeters. She was unable to maintain the effort, that great effort, and suddenly fainted.

That was enough for Dasuke to pull Hae from under the rock. He was immensely relieved for a few seconds, before realizing that his four-year-old daughter had fainted because of the effort. He rushed to her, checking that she was alive.

He tried to wake her up, shaking her a little and patting her face. They couldn't stay here... Oh, well, he could carry her. He took her in his arms, ready to go away, then he noticed that Hae was still on the ground. The latter was staring at her feet.

"What are you doing?" he asked, in a hurry. "We have to leave."

"I... I can't walk…" she confessed, still in shock.

Dasuke looked at her, shaken.

"You can't?" he repeated, as if to have a confirmation.

She shook her head.

"I can't feel my legs anymore."

Dasuke tried again to make Isolina regain consciousness. She finally opened her eyes a little.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but you'll have to walk," he told her.

He put her on the floor and took Hae in his arms.

"It's ridiculous, Dasuke! You're not going to carry me! Our daughter needs you! Leave me here!" she scolded.

"This is out of the question. We will start again. Together."

So he went on the road, Isolina holding his pants, and his wife in his arms. The path might be long, but they would find a place where they would be safe. And as the dawn of a new day was rising, they were walking toward a new future.

* * *

 **A/N: So, hey again!**

 **End of part 1! What did you think about it?**

 **I wanted it to be a little… deeper, personally. Especially about the feelings and all, but… it didn't work that way x) Mmm… Then, I have no idea when I'll post the other part. So, be patient. I'll try not to be long, but again, I can't promise anything.**

 **Anyway, leave a review/comment. And if not: thank you for reading! I hope it was enjoyable.**

 **See you next time!**

 **Lion**

* * *

 **Answers reviews:**

 **GuestMcCarry** **: Hi!**

 **First time I see you I think… Thank you very much for your review! It means a lot :) I hope you won't be disappointed with this chapter. As for the Korra facing Zaheer thing… I'm not sure it can fit this story, but I'll think about it.**

 **Have a great day/evening/night, and see you!**

 **Lion**

 **—**

 **Galu** **: Hey!**

 **Well, you didn't wait long, I guess xD I hope I managed to satisfy a little your curiosity! Thank you very much for your review! (I don't mind any language that you use, as long as I understand xD)**

 **Have a good day/evening/night! See you another time!**

 **Lion**


	17. Past — Part Two

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **Here I am, again, and in advance, to post the sequel. Well, just some information: Isolina's past will finally be 3 chapter-long (kinda got out of control and is very long now). And I didn't change the rating, but be aware that there is a little violence and blood in this chapter. It's not that bad, though. It'll be worse later :p**

 **Now, enjoy!**

* * *

Nature was great. There were trees, many trees, a rock cut like a big arrow pointing to the sky. And sometimes there were animals coming out of the forest looking at the girl who was watching.

Yes, the forest was big, but she couldn't go there. She couldn't see and experience this immensity. She was always at the window, when she wasn't helping her mother or learning.

"Isolina! Come help me, please!"

Ah, here it was. The little girl joined her mother, who had opened a high cupboard without being able to reach the inside.

"Could you grab the tin?" she asked. "I have to start making food, Dad will be back soon."

Before, Mum could catch things. But now she had her buttocks glued to a chair with wheels. Except when she was sleeping or when she was peeing. That's what she had been told anyway. So, Isolina often had to help her do the things she couldn't do anymore.

This time she climbed up on the work table, using her mother's chair. Standing on it, she managed to catch the much talked about tin. Then, she jumped down to the ground, losing a little balance and ending on her buttocks.

"Be careful, Isolina," her mother growled.

"Why can't I use my bending to catch things? It's easier!" the little girl protested, saying it wasn't her fault if she had to do acrobatics.

"We have already told you enough times, Isolina: bending is dangerous. You promised not to use it anymore."

"I know…"

Which was not a good enough reason for her not to want to use it. Her bending was part of her. Since her youngest age, it was in her, it didn't leave her. It was a natural penchant that she struggled to deny or repress. Not using her bending as she did was like robbing her of something. In this house, always locked up, she felt like a stranger to herself.

But she had promised. Bending is dangerous, it's bad. It makes people dangerous and people come who are dangerous. These people who are mean. It was these people who did that to her mum.

"Did you read the book I gave you to read?" Hae asked.

"Yes."

"You understood well?"

"Yes."

"Can you make a summary for me?"

The little girl started telling her mother about her reading, talking about everything: the story, the characters, and what she had thought about it. Hae asked her if she found any difficult words and requested a list of words she didn't know from her.

The paraplegic mother, now condemned to play the housewives, made a point of taking care of her daughter's education with rigor. She knew she was probably ahead of children who were her age, but Isolina could never live like children her age.

Even if she had lost the sacred right of bending, she could at least hope that her daughter had an honorable education. So, they spent the time they both had at home, reading, writing, calculating, all of that while integrating a little general culture.

Hae had only one mission: to make Isolina curious enough so that she would want to keep on learning, and perhaps forget about their troubled past and the fact that they had forbidden her to use her bending. But it was just too risky. If anyone were to come by—even though they lived in the middle of nowhere—and see Isolina waterbend, it would be enough for the organization to find them. It was already the third time they had moved in less than a year for security reasons. So, they couldn't let that happen. They remained cloistered, kept a low profile, being discreet and forgotten by all.

Only Dasuke communicated with the outside and often brought back enough to survive and to have fun to them. It depended on the work he found. Sometimes life was not very easy and they didn't have much to eat. But right now, Dasuke brought back books or things which allowed Hae to really be able to work with Isolina.

Anyway, after a few extra hours, the father finally returned. His daughter rushed into his arms, telling him that she had missed him. Dasuke laughed slightly and said that he missed her too as he vaguely embraced her. She then began to tell him with excitement what she had done with her mother that day, and Dasuke gazed at her tenderly.

He didn't have any regrets. Despite everything that had happened and the fact that they had to live a marginal, lonely and somewhat dangerous life, he didn't regret their flight of that day. It was true that Hae had lost much more than him. But to see the happy, open and smiling face of their daughter was worth their many misfortunes. That's why they fought, and they won a battle. To win the war, they would have to remain on their guards for the rest of their lives, but this price seemed much least, if it was compared to the incommensurability of what was tried to be stolen from them: their daughter's future. They would protect her at all costs.

"Isolina... Look, I brought you a present!" Dasuke announced.

He took a purple teddy bear from his pocket and handed it to his daughter. She grabbed it immediately and hugged it tightly.

"Thank you, Dad! I love it!" she exclaimed, happy.

Yes, that smile was priceless...

* * *

"That's good, you made less than four mistakes on this text. You are improving! Pay attention to your relative pronouns though."

"Okay..."

Hae glanced at her daughter, who was listening absently. There were days she was elsewhere, there were days she didn't want to work. Hae often wondered what she was thinking at these times, and often, she knew it, it concerned things she would have rather avoided.

"What is it, sweetie?" the mother asked, anxious.

"Can't we go outside today either?" Isolina asked, with puppy eyes.

"I'm sorry, sweetie... But you know it's complicated..."

"Is it going to be possible someday?"

"Someday maybe..."

Hae smiled sadly, although she would have preferred that such a day never comes.

"Really? When?"

"I don't know. Later. But first, you have to learn well, okay? And above all, you have to never use your bending ever again. If you use it, that day goes farther and farther away, okay?"

"Okay!" the little girl was filled with enthusiasm.

Hae smiled vaguely. She admired her daughter's enthusiasm, her childish indifference. She knew that their situation wasn't viable. Someday, Isolina would have to go out— her curiosity for the outside was only growing and devouring her. But Hae would like that that day, they would be forgotten from all. That day, Isolina would be old enough so that they wouldn't recognize her anymore. It was the only way. The one and only.

* * *

"What do you mean 'they found our trail'?" Hae was alarmed.

"I don't know, it's just a feeling! I didn't see them, but I felt like I was followed. Well, given our situation, there is enough to become paranoid... But why take this risk?"

"It's been a few months since we settled... Isolina is starting to like it here and your work is good..."

"We've been here too long. We never stayed that long in one place. It can become dangerous, and you know it."

"How are we going to explain it to her?" Hae sighed. "Are we really going to continue like this? A few months in a hideout and change all the time? Until when? Until she is an adult? Is that even a life that is worth living?"

"I know it's not convenient, but we have no choice..."

"I know... For Isolina, huh?"

"For Isolina," Dasuke confirmed, putting a soft kiss on his wife's forehead.

They didn't know that, hidden on the stairs along a wall, small indiscreet ears were listening to the conversation. She didn't want to leave. Not yet... She loved nature and animals here. They were nice and came to see her in the morning. The house was good too, not like those slums in which they had remained out of necessity. She was fine there.

Why did they always have to move? Of course, she could see the outside in these moments, but it was always night and it was always scary... She just wanted to go outside and live a little. Only that. So she put her head in her arms, a little depressed by the idea of moving again.

* * *

Hae was looking at the clock. Since she wasn't able to stomp, she was incessantly tapping her index finger against the hard surface of her wheelchair. She was starting to be nervous, terribly nervous.

She and her husband had decided the day before, without further deliberation, that it would be imperative to leave as soon as possible, the next day. Now, they were the next day in question and Dasuke hadn't returned yet. He was supposed to come back sooner so they could get away quickly, so Hae was starting to worry a lot.

What if he were right? What if the people in the organization had already found them? What if it were too late? She was at the mercy of these men. She could no longer walk, no longer waterbend. Her only bulwark was her five-year-old daughter, whom she had to protect. No way she let it happen the other way around!

Isolina, as for her, was looking at her mother from her hiding spot at the top of the stairs. She didn't know why her father wasn't there, but she knew it wasn't good.

—

The intimate conviction that he was followed. Once again. He couldn't go back home, not with those invisible glances that were following him relentlessly. He couldn't endanger his wife and daughter. Yet he knew that the enemy was tenacious. He didn't know what to do to escape this terrible situation. Maybe it was in his head? Maybe no one was actually following him? His imagination, paranoia... However, the risks were too great. He couldn't go home. But what could he do? What?

—

"Mum?" the girl called.

Hae almost jumped when she heard the girl's voice. She turned to her with a faint smile, saying:

"Yes, sweetie?"

"When will Dad come back home?"

"I don't know, sweetie... I don't know..."

It was only six o'clock. There was still time, right?

—

It was at least the fifth time that Dasuke walked through this neighborhood. And he was still feeling watched. It was unbearable, terribly disturbing and, above all, immensely dangerous.

He didn't know how many men there were. At any moment, they could get bored and decide to attack. He knew he couldn't win all alone against several over-trained men. Maybe they were ten, maybe twenty, maybe more!

He had to shake them off, but he felt like he was trapped like a fly in a spiderweb: blocked. And just then, after a turn... a dead end. He proceeded turning around, only to hear a voice that froze his blood.

"Dasuke. Long time no see."

He turned slowly, seeing a slender and serious man standing in the shadows, his face hidden by the backlight and the dozen men (or so) of the organization around him.

"Hieu," Dasuke said, greeting him.

"Tell us where the girl is and you and your wife will be safe," the latter said.

"Leave it to dogs like you? Never!"

"' _Dogs'_? Where did your sense of respect and duty go, Dasuke? Have you forgotten all our efforts? Our mission?"

"I haven't forgotten. I'll never forget."

"So, why flee our ideal of justice this way?"

"We're talking about _my_ _daughter_ here! My daughter who is barely five!"

"Exactly. The sooner it begins, the more useful it will be. You should know it."

"I know you've already tried things with her. And I know very well that your methods are unorthodox. All you will succeed in doing so is to make her unhappy!"

"A drawback, I guess. But it is a _necessary_ evil for the world's security."

"Bullshit! It is not necessary to hurt people as you do. And even less a so young child!"

"Well, I guess we can't count on your cooperation?"

"Screw you!"

"Predictable. We will have to use some strength. Go for it."

Hieu withdrew a little, and ten men fell on Dasuke who did his best to defend himself. He dodged a few jets of water, stones and flames with agility, tried to replicate and whipped the floor with two of them. But an earthbender imprisoned his feet in the earth and, the second after, a firebender shot him a blow of an incredible power behind the neck.

He fell. His head bounced off against the ground and he was about to faint. But... he had to fight. He kept his eyes open and proceeded to stand up, noticing eight armed projectiles ready to shoot him.

"Do not kill him," Hieu said.

He stepped forward, knelt down and squeezed Dasuke's head between his long, terrible fingers.

"You will tell us where they are hidden, or you will regret it bitterly..."

"I fear I'm not able to regret saving my family..."

"Let's see if that can remain true."

He released his head, which fell heavily to the ground, then nodded at his men. The latter imprisoned Dasuke in a cocoon of earth, so that he couldn't replicate, and began to beat him like a rhythmic melody that was sometimes disturbed by songs of pain.

They would take the time that was needed— hours if necessary—but Dasuke would tell them where they were hidden. And even if he didn't do it, they would find them anyway.

—

Night had fallen. It was late. Too late. Something had happened to Dasuke. She was sure of it. She felt it.

What was she supposed to do now? Go? But without Dasuke, she was good for nothing... Oh then, she had no choice. She had to leave, quickly.

"Isolina, take your bag, let's go," she ordered, a little sharp because of the panic.

"But... and dad?"

"He... will join us ... when he can. Please, Isolina, we don't have any time."

The little girl then went upstairs and came down a few seconds later with a coat and a backpack. Hae had equipped herself.

"Isolina, go open the door," she asked, her back turned to the door, as she took on her lap the big bag Dasuke usually took.

She heard Isolina head for the door, then a frightened "m-mum" who made her panic.

A man stood in the entrance, a sadistic smile adorning his face which were spotted with blood, like his clothes. He stepped into the house.

"Isolina, it's good to see you again," he said.

"Hieu…" Hae enunciated, as if all her blood had been withdrawn from her body.

This was not happening. Not now. Not like this.

"I brought your husband home. It seems that he got a little lost."

Then two men came in, and threw what looked more like Dasuke's corpse whose blood had been completely emptied on her clothes than her husband's. He didn't move anymore. He had cuts everywhere, his fingers were missing... They had tortured him.

"Dad!" Isolina exclaimed, rushing towards him.

"No! Isolina, come back here. Right now," Hae ordered, coldly.

It was out of the question she realized what they had done to her father. She wasn't supposed to see so much violence. Then, taking a last look at her father's corpse, Isolina returned to her mother.

"I see that your methods have not changed," the paraplegic woman said coldly.

"They are normally effective."

'Normally'. So, as she thought, Dasuke had not said anything about their whereabouts. But they still had managed to find them... It was her fault. She had taken too long to make up her mind. And now she had five men in her living room who were coming to take her daughter. And she couldn't do anything.

"We'll take Isolina now, if you allow. For your good and loyal services, they won't make you suffer too much. Take the girl."

"Isolina!" Hae shouted.

The little girl then ran to the back of the house. But she couldn't go any further, as flames had begun to devour the furniture.

"That's right, you won't be able to go that way, little girl," Hieu said.

Isolina then went back and took a fighting position. She made a movement into the void that allowed her to concentrate the humidity of the air in water.

"I see you've learned your lessons since last time," the leader said. "But do you really think you can protect yourself _and_ your mother?"

He nodded at an earthbender who, in a fierce kick to the ground, ejected Hae from her chair. The latter found herself face down, unable to get up with only her arms. A firebender took a dagger and put it under Hae's throat, making it obvious, as he pulled her hair to lift her head.

"You come with us, Isolina, and this man won't hurt your mother."

The little girl was disoriented, confused, panicked, she didn't know what to do. She wanted to save her mother. She really did.

"Isolina," Hae sobbed, "they will kill me no matter what you do. You have to escape."

The firebender brought the blade closer to her throat, from which leaked out a thin stream of blood. Seeing this and thinking that she didn't want her mother to finish in the same state as her father, the little girl knocked out the firebender with her water.

"Grab her," Hieu, ordered a little irritated by this family's choices.

So, while Isolina was bringing the water back to her, a firebender threw a fireball that made the water evaporate and an earthbender imprisoned her in circles of earth from which she couldn't escape.

"No!" Hae shouted.

"Too late," Hieu mocked, as he started to go out. "Let's go."

One of the men picked up the little girl, who fidgeted and struggled, and started walking out too, as if he were only carrying a potato sack on his back.

"Mum!" Isolina shouted, feeling that things were getting out of control.

"Isolina!" Hae shouted back, so hard that she was tearing her lungs.

She couldn't let that happen, let them take her daughter, like that, right in front of her eyes.

Making an ultimate and desperate effort, she pushed with all her might on her arms, rising slightly. Supporting herself on one hand, she made a sharp movement with the second, managing a vague bending, which was absolutely not precise. Water spurted on one of the henchmen, who turned around raising an eyebrow.

Pathetic.

Hieu turned too, feeling movement behind him. He saw that one of his men was slightly wet and saw Hae a little raised. Boring. He thought she could no longer bend. It looked like he was wrong. But he really didn't want to have problems later, otherwise his brother was going to lecture him again.

"Kill her," he ordered.

He went out, four of his men following him. He didn't want to see that. Hae was nice to him. She had been loyal and efficient, like Dasuke. And just like him, she had betrayed them. It was the price to pay. Isolina was theirs, it was their weapon.

Those who stood guard outside joined them, and soon the last man came out of the house in flames.

"It's done," he announced.

"Well. Let's go back to the base."

They left, the ceaseless cries of Isolina calling her mother tearing the deep, quiet darkness of the night and the cracking of flames further and further away from a house which was burnt to ashes.

* * *

She didn't know where she was, only that the room was dark, very dark. There was no window. It was hard to see, the brightness not being very high. Only a sizzling, intermittently flashing neon made it possible to see the electric-blue walls and the little mattress lying on the floor, where she was sitting with her head in her hands.

She didn't know where she was, but she didn't like this place. She wanted to leave, but she couldn't. The air was dry, terribly dry, and there was no water supply. And then, even if she left, she didn't know what she could do next.

In the end, she was safe in that ugly, dark little room: the nasty people who had separated her from her parents were not there. On the other hand, she heard voices behind the door. So she didn't want to go through the door, because she could come face to face with them and she wished she never saw them again.

There were loud footsteps, new voices rising, then a long grinding of the metal door. The steps resumed. Isolina buried her head in her arms; she didn't want to see, she wanted to disappear.

The steps stopped in front of her.

"Oh, Isolina, Isolina, why are you making such an expression? It's good to see you again."

She knew that voice... It was one of the voices that made her work until she was exhausted to bend water perfectly. She hated her bending at that time, because of them.

"I want to see my dad and my mum!" she commanded without looking at him.

"Who? It's not going to be possible."

"Why?" she asked, like a little wounded animal, as she was raising her head.

She then saw this man, tall and menacing, straight and austere, standing right before her. Just to see him like that, his face so strict and impassive, made her shiver. She hated him. But at the same time, he scared her. A whole lot.

"Because they are dead," he said, with a tone of voice that sounded both indifferent and determined to hurt the young child's heart.

Dead... She knew that word. But... what did it mean to be dead? She knew that people in stories were sad when people were dead. Should she be sad too? Because she was separated from her parents?

"I want to see them!" she insisted, not considering what she was told.

"They abandoned you, you will never see them again."

"No! They would never do that!"

"They died, Isolina. They are dead. They will not come back."

"No! No, no, no!

She didn't want to believe it. Dead? That meant they would never come back? That she would never see them again? But... the mean voice was lying. It was lying, as always! It had always lied to her. It couldn't be true! What would she do without her parents?

"I'll come back when you've calmed down," he ended up saying.

He left without another word. Nobody came back to see her. She was given food and drink from below the door, and for the rest, she was left to fend for herself.

The voice came every day. And every day it told her that her parents were dead. She didn't know exactly what it meant, she didn't understand and she didn't want to believe it. But by dint of hearing it, she resolved to believe that her parents would never come back to save her. She was all alone...

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this chapter. If so (and even if you didn't), you can leave a review, which would make me very happy!**

 **So, I'll see you all later, for the last part which is… intense. Let's say in one week or two?**

 **See you next time!**

 **Lion**


	18. Past — Part Three

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **First of all:** **WARNING** **, the** **RATING is M** **for this chapter. So, please, read while being conscious of it.**

 **SPOILERS** **: for those who would need what's inside to decide whether they can read or not, here is a light spoiler. The tag "graphic depiction of violence" applies, which means blood, death, torture, and some other more explicit sexual aspects.**

 **I don't want to traumatize anyone, so be careful while reading if you know that you are sensitive. Also, that is the last part of Isolina's past. After that, we go back to the present day.**

 **Last important information** **: given that I don't want anyone to drop the story, only because they would feel uneasy with this chapter, I will do** **a summary of this chapter** **if** **anyone asks me** **.**

 **That's all for now, so enjoy!**

* * *

Days had passed, until one day—she didn't know why—someone was thrown into the cell with her. She didn't know this girl. She looked older than her... But she was even more frightened than she was. She had blond hair with fearful green eyes, a body perhaps a little too thin and a few cuts on it. Her face was red and her eyes swollen, and Isolina knew she had cried.

The day she was brought to her, she was thrown on the bed with her. The horrible nasty voice stood in front of her and said with a petty smile:

"Here, now you have someone. Be content with that and you will have a quiet life. It is a privilege granted to you, Isolina, in memory of your parents."

"They'll come back..." she persisted muttering, though she couldn't even find the faith to believe herself anymore.

"They are dead. But she is not. Make it stay that way. Tomorrow we will resume your training."

And he left. As always. But this time she wasn't alone to despair, scream or cry. So, she looked at this girl, completely prostrate on the bed. She had put herself in a corner and put her head on her knees, looking at nothing.

"Who are you?" Isolina finally asked.

The girl didn't answer immediately and just stared at her. Eventually, the silence extended for a long time. And after a few minutes, the girl answered.

"My name is Lochan. What's yours?"

"Isolina."

They exchanged a few words. Isolina learned that she was 8 years old, that she lived in the streets and that men had dragged her here. She was lonely and weak and couldn't bend. They had nothing in common except the desperation of being in such a place...

* * *

The next day, people came to take Isolina. They took her to a special room. It wasn't very big. There was a bowl of water, and four terribly-well-protected men in the four corners of the room. They were ready to attack her at any moment.

Isolina was asked to waterbend. She refused. She was slapped and put back in the cell.

It was not a big deal. Dad and Mom had said that she shouldn't bend...

* * *

The next day, the same thing happened. But the slap was more aggressive. So much that, when Isolina returned to the cell, she was crying and holding her cheek.

Lochan immediately went to her and consoled her, letting her cry on her lap and stroking her hair. Isolina cried. And she cried more as she was reminded her of her mother when the latter consoled her after a nightmare. If only she could wake up...

But she fell asleep, and the next day she was still in the same cell, still with Lochan... It was not a dream. Unfortunately.

* * *

A week passed. She was slapped every day because she refused to do what was asked of her. But she didn't want to bend. She wanted to make her bending disappear. And she imagined that if she stopped using it, it would disappear naturally. After that, the bad guys wouldn't bother her anymore. It had only to disappear, that was all... As long as it disappeared... And quickly.

Only, it didn't disappear. Or not fast enough. At the end of the week, the voice came to watch the training session. Seeing that it had not changed in the least, the man winced.

"Isolina," he said, raising her chin he held aggressively between his fingers, "doing me a favor is doing yourself a favor. The more you resist, the more you annoy me. And you can believe me, it's not in your interest to annoy me. Whatever means I'll have to use, I don't care if you're only five: I'll make you bend. So, make a start on it."

He let go, and she let her head fall.

"Leave her for today. She will meditate on these words and tomorrow she will be more cooperative. Or we move things up a gear."

"Yes, sir!"

They accompanied Isolina to her cell. Lochan wasn't there. Where was she? Had they taken her away? Isolina began to worry. She didn't know Lochan well and they didn't speak much, but... at least she was going through this ordeal with someone.

And while she was about to cry, despairing of not seeing her anymore, Lochan was thrown back into the cell again. She was crying. But her tears were barely noticeable, because her face had so many bruises. She was seriously messed up and had blood all over her body, as her torn clothes let see.

Isolina looked at her, stunned and wide-eyed.

"What... what did they do to you?" she finally articulated with difficulty, reaching out to touch Lochan.

But when she got to touch her, Lochan jumped and moved away quickly. Then she looked up at Isolina, surprised at her gesture, and just resumed crying.

Isolina didn't understand. And she would never understand. She only knew that sometimes, at night, men would come looking for Lochan, and that she would always come back in bad shape.

But the blond-haired girl never spoke of these moments to Isolina, although she learned to let herself be comforted by the five-year-old child. What could they do to her? Lochan couldn't bend. So what did they demand from her?

* * *

Time passed like this. Isolina continued to be stubborn. It wasn't only slaps anymore. She had the privilege to have kicks and blows with a stick, now. Sometimes, she struggled to get up. She thought she would never be able to stand up again. Like her mother. But each time, they made sure to bring a healer for her to survive. She was just too much in a daze to realize it.

It became so unbearable that she agreed to do some simple exercises. But it wasn't enough. And they made her understand it, because they once again moved things up a gear.

One day, they brought a new object: a long black snake, which slammed against the ground and bit her skin violently.

It was so virulent that the first time they threw her down on the floor, tearing off her t-shirt before she got hit with that object, tears spurted out of her orbits and she almost lost consciousness. She knew instantly that she wouldn't resist this new instrument of torture. But even if she agreed to do as they wanted and pleaded with all her strength, they didn't stop. The leather of the whip continued to tear her young, frail and immaculate skin, drawing there bright red, fresh and throbbing trails.

They had removed the water from the room. She couldn't defend herself. They didn't want her to defend herself. It was her punishment for not listening. They were avenging themselves with infinite cruelty. And so, four benders and her torturer enjoyed themselves, intoxicated by her suffering for long, long minutes. They savored with voracious appetite every sigh, every groan, every cry, every scream from the young child. They pushed her to the end. They continued to make the carnivorous snap ring out until she couldn't get up again. The chief arrived at that moment.

He leaned toward Isolina, and saw in her half-closed eyes that she was barely conscious. Yet, he sadistically whispered to her, delighted:

"I warned you. I told you that you had better listen to me. You can see the consequences. You'll listen to me now, won't you? "

As if she had passed out, Isolina didn't answer. She was still trying to understand the question. Someone was talking to her, right?

But the chief had a different take on it. He put his hand on Isolina's back and pressed firmly, without any hesitation. She screamed, almost fainting because of the pain.

"You'll listen to me now, won't you, Isolina?" he repeated, forcing a little more.

"Yes!" she wept. "Yes, whatever you want!"

So he withdrew his hand.

"Good," he said, caressing her cheek with his hand covered in blood. "That's good, Isolina. I didn't expect less from a smart girl like you."

He got up, licking the blood on his hand. Fresh blood, young blood. Blood that belonged to him and was dedicated to him. Perfect.

"That's all for today. Put her in the cell."

The guards nodded. They each took an arm of the young child and dragged her to the door of the cell. While one of the guards was going to unlock the door, the other stopped him.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I don't know... I must say that to see her like that, all beaten up, it turns me on very much."

He knelt, passed a callous finger on the lips of the little girl, who had her eyes closed, unconscious. He then went down her neck, traced her still-naked bust, before playing with the elastic of her pants and slip a confident hand between her thighs. He caressed the smooth warmth he found there, a smile taking hold of his mad expression. He wanted to go deeper... But as he was going to access the most interesting part, his colleague stopped him.

"Stop. You know the orders. It's not her use. Unless you want to finish like her."

"Oh, come on, nobody will ever know anything about it. This little guy wants her!"

"I don't care about your erection. This one is not for that."

"Very well," he said, withdrawing his hand. "But I'll have to relieve myself anyway."

His colleague opened the door. They put Isolina for the bed, without throwing her onto it, because they feared for her life, and therefore for theirs. The rule was not to give her any treatment, so that she would remember and become docile. So, they would leave her there and she would heal, and then the training would be better. It worked all the time.

Lochan, who was in the cell, made a movement towards Isolina; she was terribly worried concerning her friend's health. However, when she saw the two men, she stopped, tense. If she didn't move, if she stayed in a corner, they would certainly leave her alone, wouldn't they?

"Come on, come on my little bitch," one of the men said.

Her hope was vain. They knew very well she was here. And they could do whatever they wanted with her. So, even if she didn't want to, Lochan followed them because she knew that if she didn't, she would suffer even more.

The man put a hand around the child's shoulders, who was balling her fists, her head lowered. Oh yes, they were going to have fun tonight... for a hell of a while.

—

Isolina woke up in the middle of the night. Surely it was night. It was dark, anyway. And she was in pain. It was so bad that she couldn't even imagine moving. She just wanted to go back to sleep, to forget the pain. But no, it was keeping her awake.

For long minutes, it was complete silence. Then, the door of her cell creaked, a feeble light flooded the place, revealing the silhouette of Lochan, followed by a man. He threw her into the cell and locked the door again, of course.

"Lochan..." Isolina whispered, her voice trembling, feeble.

The latter approached, and asked, with a rather dark and macabre tone:

"Why are you awake?"

"I just woke up... I can't sleep... It hurts."

"It looks pretty ugly..." Lochan noted.

"I'm sorry, Lochan... I can't move and I can't make any room for you on the bed..."

"It's ok. I'm going to sleep on the floor."

"Lochan?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you naked?"

"My clothes were torn..."

Although Isolina knew it wasn't the whole truth, she felt it was reason enough. They stopped talking to fall asleep, but neither of them found sleep. They remained awake for a long time. A guard came back and threw clothes into the cell. Lochan dressed then, and after a while they finally fell asleep.

* * *

Time passed. How long? Isolina didn't really know it. She was lost in the count of those repetitive days.

All she knew was that she was left alone and depressed for a whole week. She stayed with Lochan during that time, except when they took her for a few minutes or hours... it depended.

As Isolina was unable to move because of the pain and the huge scar on her back, Lochan took care of her. She fed her, kept her busy, took care of her... The two little girls learned to count on each other in this cruel and withdrawn life. That was all they had. No more family, no more freedom, no more joy; just each other to bear this hell.

Once Isolina got a little better, they came back for her. They took her between eight and ten hours a day. Sometimes it was a little more, sometimes a little less. They dragged her to exhaustion. They wanted to develop her precision, her power, her abilities.

Isolina hadn't really tried to resist. She had no reason. Her parents were no longer here. They wouldn't be here anymore. She belonged to them. It was they who owned her life. It was what they kept telling her. Her reason for living was their cause. She was their tool, their instrument, their object. It was useless to doubt, to resist. Or like any object, they could break her. And it happened again a few times.

When it was too hard, too difficult, when she was overwhelmed, destroyed, she saw no reason to continue; she refused, resisted. But once the scathing whip had rung out against the walls or against her body, she resumed the training. Despite the exhaustion, despite all the pain of her body and soul, she worked, trained even harder.

Staying alive. No, not even that. Not suffering anymore. Because they would never kill her. They would just make her agonize, destroy her from the outside and the inside, so that she would remember: she was theirs, just theirs. No more will, nothing. She just had to do what was asked of her. It wasn't that complicated, was it?

In any case, it was what she forced herself to think. Or even not think. Yes, not thinking at all was good too. But that didn't stop her from crying at night, in Lochan's arms, when the barrier gave way to pressure, when her emotions were furious and painful.

Lochan didn't cry. Or rarely. She was only perfectly stoic and tried her best to comfort Isolina. She didn't have anything either. She didn't want to live, but she knew that Isolina needed her, that she was her comfort. Only, unlike her, she was empty now. Empty of futile emotions. Hope, despair, only vague and useless concepts. She no longer had the strength to feel sorry for herself. She knew she was lost. Simple fact. Nothing was going to change.

Her life had always been bad. Of course, it was better before. But she didn't care about before. She didn't care about anything. She lived in a permanent fog. The only way to forget the pain of everyday life, to forget that her body and soul were stolen from her, to forget that she was nothing but an object without heart and emotions for them. Because that was what she was, right? She didn't feel the pain, that was why they were doing this to her, right? It was necessarily because she couldn't feel the pain. Or it was what she thought with conviction to justify her miserable status, anyway.

Isolated from the world in which she lived, only Isolina and her tears reminded her that their lives weren't just about detachment, and that they were both scarred. For life. Yes, they had only each other. It was that way. So, even if she wasn't worth much, she would be there for Isolina, and Isolina for her, although she would never tell her what they were doing to her.

Eventually, it continued for several months. Lochan's situation didn't improve, neither did Isolina's. One could even say that it was getting worse, for one as for the other.

One night, one of the men returned to their "room" with a flashlight. He didn't bother and took Lochan by the neck, waking her up. The young girl's first instinct was to struggle, but he threw her to the ground. She moaned with pain but didn't say anything. He took her again and forced her to kneel before him. He unbuttoned his pants and proudly discovered his crotch.

"Do it," he ordered.

"Not here," Lochan murmured, glancing sideways at Isolina, who was sleeping.

He had no trouble hearing it, however, and immediately got angry.

"You little whore," he insulted.

He slapped her, which threw her to the ground. Then, he turned her over, putting her on all fours before tearing off her pants and underwear. He ended up thrusting his torch into her butt, three times, with great vigor and violence. Lochan bit her tongue not to scream, though tears came to her eyes. Not to wake Isolina up... She had not to wake Isolina up. She had not to see that.

"It feels good, huh, it feels good," he growled with barbaric intonation.

He then removed the object from the girl's body and turned her over again, presenting his crotch again.

"Do it," he said again.

Lochan looked towards Isolina. Logically, she was looking against the wall... She couldn't see. She just had not to turn around... For pity's sake, Isolina, don't turn around, she thought.

She had no choice. If she didn't do what she was told, he would beat her and, consequently, wake up the five-year-old girl. Then she granted his request, putting that member which she loathed in her mouth. She just had not to think about it... Not to think about it. If only…

The man finally let out some sighs and moans of ecstasy. Then, when he had finished his little business, he went away. Lochan got dressed and went back to bed.

"What did he want from you?" Isolina asked, when she felt her presence in the bed.

"Nothing important," Lochan lied. "Go back to sleep."

"Why... why do you lie to me?"

"Because men are bad. You don't have to know what they are doing to be mean. They are just mean."

The two girls didn't talk for a moment, but they didn't go back to sleep either.

"Isolina..."

"Yes?"

"If one day you get out of here... don't trust them. Don't trust anyone."

"Okay."

"Good."

Maybe Isolina would escape someday. Lochan knew that without bending, she was doomed. Many measures were taken so that Isolina could never surpass them and escape. But... if... Yes, if only this girl could leave. It was her only and last wish. She wanted Isolina to live, more than herself. Because Isolina was strong, she could get back on her feet again. She was not empty, she would never be, unlike her.

* * *

"Move things up a gear," the chief demanded.

That day, a new exercise was submitted to Isolina. She was proposed to bend the bodies of some mice. Not noticing how it was supposed to be a change (she could bend everything, so well...), she didn't wonder one bit, then did what she was asked. She began to doubt when she heard the cries of the little beings writhing under her hands. Awful. It was awful.

The next day, she was asked to do it again. She refused. The whip slammed. But she knew she had made the right decision. Yet, they didn't give up on the idea. And they asked her again. She obliged. Seeing that she bent them perfectly, they thought that they should make her bloodbend human beings. It was just another step like any other.

So, they brought a guinea pig. A man who had betrayed them and who was shaking like a leaf. He was infinitely pathetic. They asked Isolina to bend his blood. She did it, then seeing the man's eyes, she didn't manage to keep going on and stopped. She was shouted at, beaten, but nothing worked. She couldn't see him suffering like that. They ordered her to kill him. She didn't want to do that.

The whip slammed.

She still didn't want to do that.

The man was killed anyway.

She was sent back to the cell, a week passed, she was asked to bloodbend someone again. She refused again. It didn't matter. She would never do that. And they knew it. They knew that Isolina somehow resisted the beatings. Then the leader changed his mind.

Lochan was taken to the room. It was simple: either she bloodbent properly and killed the people they wanted her to kill, or her friend would die. Cornelian choice? Not that much. This girl was there for that, why else? They weren't going to find her a cell friend to have a cell friend. It was a means of pressure. It was also a way to break her entirely. This way, Isolina would be theirs. She only had that. They just had to get rid of the girl and she would be theirs, without ever resisting. And that was all there was to it!

Isolina hesitated for a moment. There were the four benders who were usually there, ready to fight back if she attacked. Then there was her master, who was holding the knife under Lochan's throat and the man he was crushing on the ground with his foot on his face.

Seeing her friend, her face calm and stoic as usual, she decided to do what they asked. She began to bloodbend the man who moaned and cried, beginning to tense and implore. Isolina did her best to keep going, but she started to cry and finally stopped. For Lochan, she had to do it for Lochan... so that they wouldn't be separated as she had been from her parents.

"I'm sorry... I can't," Isolina said looking at her master and Lochan.

She saw her friend smile softly. Why was she smiling? She looked happy and sad at the same time. Her face was painted with a sweetness she had never seen before.

His master began to scream, and he brought the blade closer to the girl's throat, threatening her again. Isolina clenched her fists, raging, desperate. She had to do something. But what?

"Isolina," Lochan said, smiling, "you're stronger than you think. They will kill me anyway."

Then she elbowed the master's belly and retrieved the blade, trying to kill him, although she knew her chances were almost nil. No, they were nil. But Isolina's weren't.

An earthbender threw a rock at her back, stopping her gesture. The master of Isolina took the blade and planted it in her belly. She fell to the ground on her knees, holding the blade in her abdomen, which was flooding with blood.

She had time to turn back to Isolina, smiling for one last time, sincerely happy and at peace.

"Save yourself, Isolina. Leave here, go!"

She fell to the ground.

"You're stronger than you think..." she whispered one last time, before closing her eyes and exhaling her last breath, still a smile on her face.

"Lochan!" Isolina shouted.

Like her father. It was what they had done to her father. To her mother. Monsters. They were monsters. They wouldn't come back. Their fault. It was their fault!

No coherent thought formed in her mind anymore. None. Only a torrent of anger and despair came to her. She didn't know what was happening. But, just seconds after Lochan uttered her last words, four benders were pinned against the walls of the cell, pierced by huge peaks of scarlet ice. The master had disappeared, at least in his human form, because his blood covered the room.

An alarm sounded. Isolina didn't hear it. Like a robot, she merely bent the blood, as if it were water, and smashed the wall of her prison. She got out. She left. She ran away. She ran, far, far away. She didn't know where she was going, she didn't know what she was doing, she didn't know anything. But she ran away from it all.

* * *

When Isolina woke up, it was noon. The sun was high in the sky. She was lying down on trash in a street. She rubbed her eyes, noticing the red on her hands.

What had happened? What was she doing there? Where were her parents? She didn't remember. She couldn't remember anything that had happened.

What to do? Where to go? She didn't know. But she got up. She walked. She was hungry. She had to eat.

Shortly after, some people accosted her. She didn't know what they wanted, but they offered her food, so she followed them. They told her that she could help them. She didn't care, but she followed them. They were very happy. They were nice to her. They bought her a purple teddy bear. The same she had at home... She had recognized it and they had bought it for her.

They took her to a big city afterwards. Republic City, they said. Mum had talked about it. Mum... Why thinking of Mum hurt so much? She shouldn't think of Mum. Nor of Dad. She had to. But... why?

She still asked the people who were with her if they had seen them, her parents. They told her that she should forget and that they had surely abandoned her. No, Dad and Mum wouldn't do that. But they wouldn't come back... They wouldn't come back. Why? No, it was useless to know. It was black and scary. She had not to try to know. Never again.

In Republic City, she ended up with a lot of other kids. They wanted to make her swallow something. Something she had to carry. She didn't want to. They tried to force her. Never again would she be forced to do anything. Never again!

There was a tap in the room. She waterbent and knocked all of them out. Then, she left, sad and downcast. No, those people wouldn't help her either. Trust... Trust didn't exist.

She walked. There were sirens, screams behind her. She didn't care. She walked in the street, for... a long time. Then, other men came. She didn't listen to them. She didn't care. They could only hurt her. They were going to leave, huh?

"Come on, we won't leave you here," one of them insisted. "The street's dangerous, y'know. Why don't you come with us, little girl? We could use your help and you would have a place to live."

"Yeah, we don't have many children! But I'm sure some people would love to take care of such a beautiful little girl, if you help them a little…"

"Nothing dangerous, y'know. Just hanging out, caring thing…"

So, that was what they wanted... Them too... No one actually cared about her. They just wanted to use her. She didn't want to. She didn't want to do anything for people, to be forced to serve them. If she ignored them, continuing to walk, her head down, they would leave her alone. As long as they leave her alone...

Yet she had the feeling that they weren't going to leave. But she didn't want to bend. Not there, in the street. They had to leave.

"Guys, you should leave the girl alone," a voice interrupted.

Isolina stopped. Who was that?

She glanced discreetly at the person to whom the voice belonged. She was a woman. A tall and proud woman, with piercing and assured green eyes. She had raven hair... The same color as her mother. Except that this woman walked on two legs. Was she going to help her?

"What are you doing here, girl?" one of the men was irritated. "Can't you see we're talking business? Now, go and you won't be hurt, since I'm in a good day."

"Leave the girl alone and _you_ won't be hurt," she retorted.

"Now, now, now, looks like we have a courageous one! Who are you? Her mum?"

"I'm just a concerned citizen, and I say the girl is leaving with me."

"The girl is ours. Guys, get rid of her."

Two men rushed towards her.

No!

Isolina didn't want the woman to be hurt. But... she couldn't protect her. Not now, not like that... In the street.

Fortunately, she didn't need to. To her amazement, she wiped the floor with the two men in a few seconds. Maybe this woman was dangerous... She might attack her too.

"Go or I'll do the same thing to you," she said, her eyes hardening.

"Sure, that was what I was thinking…" he said ironically.

Isolina watched out of the corner of her eye as the scene unfolded. Through a curtain of black hair that hid her blue eyes, she saw the woman nimbly avoiding the firebending of her opponent before bringing him down with some sparks from this strange object that she had in her hand.

Was she a bender too? Or did this object give her power?

She didn't have time to find the answer. The woman approached her, and Isolina looked lower. She had to make sure she hadn't seen her watching. No, she had to ignore her too. Alone. It was the only way to survive: alone.

"Hey, are you okay?" the woman asked, with a soft and worried tone. "Where are your parents? You shouldn't be alone. It's pretty dangerous down here, you know…"

Dangerous... They had said that too. Surely, she also wanted to take her elsewhere. In that case, it wasn't that dangerous to be here. But... her voice... There was something in her voice. Something she hadn't heard for ages. Maybe just a little bit of... consideration?

No. She had not to listen to her. She was going to use her. Dad and Mum had said that outside was dangerous. She couldn't allow herself to be fooled. She had to leave. She just had not to answer her.

Only, the woman didn't leave. She touched her hair and her forehead gently, so that she could see her face. Then, Isolina flinched. She looked up at the woman, crossing her emerald eyes. She was shaken by what she saw in those eyes. They had nothing to do with the hard, menacing look she'd given to the men who were bothering her. It was a sweet and benevolent look. Was she really there to help? Could she trust her a little bit? The woman's eyes, her face, said yes. Isolina's heart, surrounded by thousands of ramparts and covered with thousands of wounds, told her no. How was she supposed to know what was right?

"Do you want me to take you somewhere?" the woman resumed. "It's really not safe, I can't leave you here."

Somewhere... Where? Where did she want to take her? Had she not already decided? Was it a trap or could she really choose? But if she could decide, where could she go? She had nowhere. She couldn't go back to her parents, although she didn't know why. The streets... There were only the streets left. A safer street? But where were the safe streets in Republic City? Could she live in this big city alone?

"Listen, I'm not leaving you here. I'm bringing you to the police station, if that's fine?" the woman hesitated. "I mean, they may be able to help you… My car is down the street…"

Isolina didn't know what to think about it.

The woman grimaced, mumbling something incomprehensible. She seemed to feel a bit guilty... or something like that. But obviously, she didn't like the turn of this conversation. She ended up sighing, before continuing a little miserably:

"Okay, maybe you don't want me to help you… I mean, I'm just an adult, and I could be like these guys and could harm you. Um… I can understand you don't want to come with me, but you can't stay alone, and certainly not here. I don't want to force you, so please, come with me. I just want to help you. You won't owe me anything! You won't have to do anything. It's just for you."

The woman looked at her for a few more seconds. Isolina kept her head down.

Really? She wasn't forced to follow her? She wanted to help her? Do something for her? It was possible? If she stayed there, surely the woman was going to try something. She wanted her to come, so she was going to force her, right? That was how it worked.

But the woman did nothing. She simply sighed, closing her eyes, making a disappointed expression. Then, she got up, glanced one last time at Isolina, before turning around and walk away.

No! Don't leave! Isolina thought. Don't leave me alone!

Then, without thinking, she seized the hand of this stranger, continuing to look at the ground. She didn't know what she had done. But it felt... right? She was going to help her now, huh? She was going to stay with her?

"Thank you," the woman said softly.

Isolina was confused. Why did she say thank you? Don't you say thank you when someone does something good for you? She had done nothing for this woman, why did she thank her?

She just followed her, a little puzzled, thinking that maybe she had made a mistake. She eventually looked up to take a look at the woman's face. She looked relieved and happy. So, Isolina relaxed a little bit.

No, she hadn't made a mistake. This woman would stay with her and help her. At least she had decided that way. If she had to change her life, forget her parents, this woman would be a new constant that she would never allow to change. If that changed... she would have no reason to endure this world full of villains.

The woman was nice. She wanted to stay with a nice person. That was all.

* * *

 **A/N: So… what are your thoughts? I'm going to insist more than usual, because I really want to make sure it was ok. I just don't want to shock anyone x) It might not be a big deal for some of you, and a lot more for others. I guess it depends on the writing too. I personally feel a lot of it while writing, so it makes it hard and makes me uncomfortable. And then, I can also understand that some matters are really upsetting, like rape. Depends on the person. Anyway, please, send a review! I'll be glad to hear what you have to say!**

 **Well, I just didn't plan for this chapter to be so horrible x) It just happened. But I'm kind of glad anyway? Even if I ended up creating a psychopath and torturing kids (which makes me a psychopath too for my brother xD). My only problem with all of that is that maybe it lacks realism, or the children's psychology is not good. As I said on the other side, certainly it's too idealistic and black and white. And I'm sorry for that. But I didn't study psychology, I just read books and live x) So, this explains that.**

 **Anyway, even if this chapter had drawbacks, I hope it will help you understand why Isolina acted that way.**

 **Thanks for reading, and see you next time!**

 **Lion**


	19. Search

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **So, the past is over. Back to present time! By the way, no summary for last chapter, given that no one asked me.**

 **There is a slight ellipse and… I'll let you enjoy!**

* * *

"Asami Sato... you here. What an honor!" Lin said bitterly as she opened the police station.

The aforesaid Asami was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. She had been waiting for Lin for a few minutes, although dawn was barely up. But it was an emergency, she had to see her as soon as possible.

"I need your help," Asami said, starting to follow her into the police station.

"So what? Now you need my help?" Lin answered, without interrupting what she was doing or even facing the other woman.

"Don't be like that..."

"Oh, how should I be? I don't know how long it's been. What I know is that I've had no news for way too long and that she's still in my files!"

"I know…"

"You know? You didn't think we might have found out how to send her home, right? I must say that with all the information that you gave to us, it was so convenient to investigate!"

"Her parents are dead."

"What?"

Lin turned to face Asami, who was staring at her, emotionless.

"That's what she told me, anyway," the CEO said. "Isolina wants to stay with Korra and I. She told me that her parents were dead and that a mysterious organization was after her. It sounded like the Red Lotus, to be quite honest. And she looked like she was telling the truth. But you have to check, right?"

"I see... Come, we'll make a report and I'll give one of my men a tip."

"No."

"No? Asami, stop being unreasonable. I've had enough of this!"

"I want to go. I told you I needed your help. I'm going to find where Isolina lived, but I need you to come with me."

"It's not your job. Neither is it mine."

"Please, Lin..."

Seeing the pleading eyes of the young woman, Lin knew she would have a hard time dissuading her. All she was going to do was hurt her more. She groaned then, while she was checking all the offices, as she was used to.

"Can I know the reason? Let me be clear, Asami: it's useless to have both of us check whether her parents are really dead or not. An officer will do just as well as we do and it will be the same result: you can keep the girl. All's well that ends well."

"I need it, Lin. I must go and see with my own eyes. If you refuse... I will not give you the details to find this place... And I am the only one to know."

"Oh, so that's how it is? You're going to blackmail me. Do you deliberately want to set me against you?"

"Please, Lin. Just a few days. I can't leave long anyway. It will only be a few days; after, we can send an officer, okay?"

Lin turned, arms crossed over her chest and staring at Asami.

"Miss Sato, I warn you... if after all that happened you don't take care of this kid, I will personally make you regret it."

Asami's face lit up. She smiled sweetly.

"Thanks, Lin! I owe you!" she said, starting to go out. "See you in two weeks then! I will contact you for more details! Have a nice day!"

The gray-haired woman just grunted again and resumed what she was doing. Seriously, this woman had knack for annoying her currently. But, she also knew that she only wanted to do well. And so, she forgave her for her momentary lack of lucidity. Now she just had to prepare for corpse hunting... As long as it went well...

* * *

"Alright, are you sure you'll manage?"

"Yes, Asami, you can leave without worries. I take care of the girl," the Avatar sighed.

She had asked her at least three times since this morning, and it was barely an hour since they were up. Of course, in one hour, the young CEO had time to prepare for her business trip.

She had announced that she had to go on a business trip more than a week ago. She had not given many details, except that she didn't really know how long it would be: maybe a week, maybe a little more, maybe a little less... She hadn't given any exact location either saying, to justify, that she would move around in the Earth Republic.

Korra had been a little suspicious, because her wife was usually not secretive and she told her exactly where she was going when she was leaving. So when she had heard that Lin was also taking days off at the same time, it reinforced the idea that something was going on.

"If there is anything, you call me, okay?" the green-eyed young woman replied.

"Asami..."

"Yes?"

"You're worried because you're not really going on a business trip, right?"

The young CEO leaned over to look at Isolina, who was busy caressing Naga a little further. She nodded to Korra to tell her she was right.

"I see..." the Avatar replied. "Is it really necessary to have secrets?"

"I just don't want you to worry, honey, that's all. And then... I'm not sure she would agree if she knew."

"Perhaps…"

"Her past scares her. It can put her in danger. I imagine that if I get close to it, I will be in danger too. I want you to protect her, Korra. Whatever happens."

"Why don't you let the police do it?"

"Lin comes with me."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I don't know... I guess I need to check on my own. If we can find what we are looking for... for Isolina, and us... it will be different. I can't let just anyone take care of such an important thing."

"I would have preferred though..."

"I'm sorry... But I won't leave long. I promised Lin not to bother her for more than a few days. After that, it will be up to the police to take care of it."

"Do you realize how big the Earth Republic is, huh? How can you hope to find anything in a few days?"

"We'll manage," Asami smiled.

"Very well. Take care of yourself. And if anything happens to you, I'll get angry."

"I'll remember."

Asami smiled faintly, then glanced at Isolina who was still playing with Naga, ignoring everything that was happening around her. In recent days, she was a little isolated.

Asami had done everything to reassure her, to help her live peacefully despite her past; but Isolina still felt some sort of insecurity since neither Korra nor Asami had been able to fulfill her wish. They couldn't promise that she would stay with them, that Asami would be her mother. They had implied that it was possible, that it just took a little more time, that they had to talk about it, but Isolina had taken it a little like a rejection, a refusal, an abandonment. Which was absolutely not the case. But the little girl was stubborn, and she wouldn't change her mind until she had been expressly confirmed that her request had been accepted.

But that was precisely what Asami wanted to do: she wanted to make sure that nothing else could get in their way—hers and Isolina's that is—, that nothing would get in the way of their common future. She just needed the girl to give her a little time, despite her urgent desires. So, Asami walked over to reassure her one last time.

"Isolina," she called, making herself be on her level.

The little girl turned her attention away from Naga's white fur, to look a little painfully in the two green emeralds.

"I'm sorry to have to leave," Asami said once she got her attention. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Ok..." the little girl muttered.

"Isolina, listen... Let's make a deal, okay? You give me a hug before I leave and I promise to tell you if I can be your mum as soon as I come back. What do you think about it?"

"Really? You'll do that?"

"Yes, I promise you."

Isolina then rushed to Asami's neck, hastening to fulfil her part of the bargain. The young woman hugged her tightly, as if she was afraid she would disappear right on the spot. In any case, she wouldn't see her for several days, so she would miss her a lot.

"I love you, sweetie," Asami said to her.

"So, why are you not my mum?" Isolina asked, retreating from the embrace and looking at the young woman with questioning eyes.

She was really trying to understand, but she couldn't get it. Always the same questions, but never any answer...

Asami looked at her tenderly, sighing a little. She put a lock of Isolina's black hair back behind her ear, replying:

"Do you remember? We said we'll talk about it when I come back. I will answer all your questions, I promised you."

"Okay... But you come back quickly, then!"

"I'll be back as soon as possible."

She kissed Isolina on the forehead, adding a last detail:

"Be good with Korra, okay?"

Isolina nodded quickly and Asami stood up. She briefly said goodbye to Naga with a pet. The latter gave her a little lick to do the same, and then Asami went back to her wife.

"Well, I'll get going..." she said, her heart a little heavy to leave her home.

"Try to contact me as often as possible. I'll worry if you don't!"

"I promise you. Take care of yourself. And, I beg you, don't make a mess and no chaos."

"Mmm... Let's see..."

"Korra..." the CEO growled.

The Avatar then began to laugh.

"Okay, no mess, no chaos. Alright, go now. Or Beifong will get impatient."

"Ok, I go. Love you."

She kissed her one last time. Korra smiled, before telling her that she loved her too. She then left, but not without a last smile to her small family core.

The next few days might be long, perhaps painful, but they would be necessary. And just for that, Asami still had a slight hurry to go on this new adventure.

—

"Asami, it's a waste of time... Seriously, you don't have anything more precise than that?"

"No. And I never said it was going to be easy."

"There's a difference between hard and impossible," Lin grumbled.

It had been barely an hour since they had got off the airship and Lin was already in a bad mood. In fact, she was in a bad mood when they had got on too and on the way.

The young CEO had refused to give her more information about what they were looking for. So, she had followed her without knowing anything, which irritated her a lot. Then she hadn't revealed anything during the trip either, which had forced Lin to wait. And when they had come down, Asami hadn't said much until they were too far away from the airship to return—probably out of fear that Lin would give up because of the difficulty of the search, which was awfully tempting indeed.

Then, finally, she had dropped the bits of information she had, namely: a house that had burned in a large forest with a big rock shaped like an arrow. In other words, it could be anywhere in the Earth Republic, the territory being covered with a lot of plots of forest.

"And so... where are we going?" Lin said, dragging her feet behind the young green-eyed woman.

"The swamp."

"The swamp? Why the swamp?"

"Do you know a bigger forest than that?"

"As the name suggests, it's not a forest, but a swamp..."

"There are parts of it that don't have water. It could be like a forest. And then, there is no better place to hide. It has worked for years with your mother... She might even be able to help us."

"Leave her out of this."

"As you wish."

They ended up walking in silence until they reached the swamp. A vast green expanse was before them. How to find a needle in a haystack? Or, in this case, a rock among so many trees and roots?

"What now ?" Lin asked.

"Isolina said that her father worked... So, they had to find a place far enough in the forest to be protected, but also close enough to a city to walk there every day."

"Or surf there. He was a waterbender."

"Yes, but they wanted to be discreet. And if I understood correctly, the use of any bending was proscribed. I think it was the same for her father... They could have been noticed."

"Well, alright. I guess we have to find a place high up to try to see what's around this swamp? But to make the whole perimeter will be long... We won't manage it in one day."

"That's good, we have a week!"

Lin growled. She watched Asami walk in front of her. She looked optimistic, but she knew that deep down she really cared and that she was really worried. That's why she'd agreed to help her after all... Partly. She really wanted to close this case once and for all. And the fact that it wasn't even close to resolution had forced a personal implication she hadn't expected. So, now she wanted to finish, personally.

"Well, while we're walking, don't you want to update me about the news you have? What happened to this kid? It may help us find the place where she lived. You may not have thought of everything."

"I suppose…"

Nevertheless, Asami remained silent for a moment, in her thoughts. Lin didn't rush her. But she was about to growl when the young woman sighed and began to tell her what Isolina had told her. Lin listened attentively. They were interrupted a few times, when they crossed more dangerous areas or when they tried to climb trees to locate the places.

When Lin learned about the organization, she thought it was normal that she hadn't found anything. It seemed they were acting in the shadows, secretly, like the Red Lotus. And they didn't really know the Red Lotus until they were attacked. And still so far, it was difficult to spot all the members. It was a constant threat to Korra's life, but all their investigations were unsuccessful.

So, they just made sure they knew if the Avatar's life was ever in danger, even if at first glance she could fend for herself.

When Asami had finished, she allowed herself to speak again:

"You still don't want my help so she can consult someone on a regular basis? She suffered a huge trauma. Remember the state of Korra after Zaheer? I'm afraid that Isolina is in a case that has many similarities. It's dangerous for her."

"I know…"

"And?"

"And I've already talked about it with Korra. I think she should be accompanied."

Lin sighed with relief. Finally, Asami could have common sense from time to time...

"Only, it will be done under her conditions," the young woman added.

"What do you mean?"

Why was there always something? Lin was almost afraid to understand what the young businesswoman meant. She felt that, as usual, she wasn't going to like it.

"She can't stand being forced to anything," Asami explained. "It blocks her and she stops talking. So, I'll do as she wants. I'll ask her to go see someone, but if she doesn't want to talk, if it takes time, so be it."

"I see... Anyway, we already have what we need for our investigation, so I guess it's fine."

They ended their search because the sun was starting to set. The first day had ended. The trip and their hours of walking had really tired them, and they didn't really have any promising track. But that was enough for the day. So, they went looking for a place to stay during the night. They would resume more fruitful research the next day.

On the way, torn by fatigue, Lin finally asked:

"Just tell me, Asami... We're not doing all of this for nothing? If you brought me here, it's because you and Korra have planned to keep the child and your craving to control everything leads you to look for the existence of her parents, right?"

"I don't want to control everything."

"Just answer the question."

"Um... I actually spoke with Korra about this eventuality."

"And so?"

* * *

 _The discussion with Isolina had been much longer and painful than she thought. Asami had only one desire: to sleep. But she knew she wouldn't be able to, she was so torn between her different thoughts and the heartbreaking story of the young child. The latter had fallen asleep, exhausted. She proceeded to join her wife, who was still waiting in the kitchen. She had certainly eaten, because the conversation was long and she was afraid of disturbing them._

 _When she arrived in the kitchen, Korra was slumped on the kitchen table and was playing with a container of salt with her finger, looking bored. As soon as she entered, the blue-eyed woman raised her head, a little happy before taking a worried look because of the deeply serious and grave look the ivory face._

 _"What happened?" Korra asked._

 _Asami didn't answer immediately. She took the time to sit down. She stared a bit into space before vaguely informing Korra of the situation. She didn't tell her all the details, but she did tell her that Isolina had finally talked about her past and that it was awful._

 _Sympathizing with all the emotions that was painted on her wife's face, Korra eventually took her in her arms, stroking her raven hair. Asami let her do it, resting her head against the blue-eyed woman's chest and sighing slightly._

 _"Calm down," Korra told her. "It's not your fault. We couldn't do anything about it. We couldn't know."_

" _I know, but... She saw her parents die. She was abducted by people who want to use her bending, who tortured her, before killing her friend in front of her eyes. She ran away to be used again by the Triads... How... how can one live peacefully after that?"_

" _I don't know... You get back on your feet, I guess. We know,_ _both of us_ _, that life is sometimes ugly. But we always got back on our feet. She will too, with a little help."_

" _You're right. We'll help her. We'll protect_ _her_ _."_

" _We will? Do you mean…"_

 _She didn't finish her sentence. She knew that Asami knew what their words implied. Was Isolina's future with them now that the truth about her past had been unveiled?_

 _"I... I don't know..." Asami stammered._

 _With what she had just lived, she hadn't thought about the matter. She wasn't even sure she could think of it. Her mind seemed so fogged by this long story of several hours long._

 _"I see," Korra replied vaguely._

 _For a long time, the two women remained entwined. Then, after a while, Korra broke the hug and knelt to face her wife. She couldn't leave the question open. Not anymore. They had to make up their mind._

 _"Asami, listen, it's simple: despite all of what Isolina told you, would you be ready to support her, to love her, for a lifetime? I don't want to impose that on you, okay? But I think we can do it, we have to do it. She really only has us this time. We love her and she loves us. What else do you want?"_

 _Asami remained silent for a moment, looking into these blue and loving orbs. It was that simple now? It was… it was surely that simple._

 _"Okay..." she finally said._

" _Okay? Seriously? She stays?"_

" _Yes, she stays. But... let's wait a little before telling her. I have a few things to handle first."_

 _The things in question concerned a certain past to verify and a police chief to convince. Not an easy task, but she would do anything for Isolina._

 _Korra didn't really try to find out more. She was just happy._

 _She certainly didn't have the whole story, but she would be patient (as surprising as it might seem), because she knew it wasn't the right moment. Neither Isolina nor Asami was feeling like talking about it again. But it didn't matter, because now they had a lifetime for that..._

* * *

After Asami left, Korra made sure that Isolina was ready before bringing her directly to the Air Temple Island. Mysteriously, Reena was there while it was a weekday, so Isolina went straight to her to play with her. The two girls escaped to the hidden places of the island, hiding their presence and their secrets from the adults.

Korra was still curious about Reena's presence and went to Opal to ask what she was doing there. The little girl's mother simply told her that she didn't have class exceptionally this day. Then, the young Avatar asked her to check that Isolina was okay from time to time if she were to go away; which was of course no problem to Opal. The two adults parted ways to take care of their business, leaving a little time for the two young children who had fled all other human presence.

—

"So, then, did you talk to Asami?" Reena asked, once they were alone, hidden under a kind of crevasse.

"Yes..." Isolina said, wriggling a little.

She hadn't said much about her past to Reena. She had simply said that she would never be able to see her parents again, that she didn't know what to do, and that she wanted to stay with Asami. She had been scared, she had been terrified, and that wasn't only because of her memories.

Sure, the memories hurt. It hurt her to remember, it made her suffer, it made her sad and depressed. But what made her even more scared was that Asami might abandon her because she remembered, and wouldn't want her anymore once she knew what a monster she was.

Reena had listened attentively, she had let her cry a little, looking at her with sadness. Then, trying to reassure her and to cheer her up a bit, she had simply suggested that she talk to the green-eyed woman. While looking deeper into things, she had even told her that Asami could even become her new mum if she wanted to. (It didn't seem so unbelievable to her. She had always thought that Asami behaved a bit like a mother with her.)

Finally, Isolina kept this idea, since it was the only way to stay with Asami. She didn't really want to replace her mother from whom she had been separated because she had protected her. But she wanted someone to stay with her and protect her. Someone nice. So, if Asami was her new mum, that's what she would do, right? In any case, this hope helped Isolina to decide what she wanted. But now she was a little disappointed...

"So? What did she say?" Reena asked, curious.

"She said she would answer me when she comes back from the trip..."

"She didn't tell you anything?"

"She did... she said she was fine with it, but it was complicated."

"So, don't worry!"

Isolina shot a skeptical look at Reena.

"I mean, when Asami wants something, even if it's complicated, she does everything that is needed to have it. I'm sure of it! I've known her for longer than you, after all."

"So, will I be able to stay with her?"

"I'm sure of it!"

"And… with you?"

"Of course. I'm your friend! We'll stay together, okay?"

"I…"

Isolina lowered her head. She wanted to tell her "yes", she wanted to stay friends with Reena forever. But she remembered Lochan, her only friend before Reena... She also wanted to stay with Lochan, but she couldn't. She wanted to stay with her parents but she couldn't either. She couldn't make such a promise. All the people who wanted to help her ended up suffering and abandoning her. Maybe it would be the same with Reena. Maybe even with Asami...

"Isolina?" Reena asked, squeezing her hand.

The blue-eyed child lifted her head.

"Anyone who says they will stay with me ends up..."

She stopped there. Dead. They all end up dead. But could she say that to Reena? She was her friend, but could she hear that sort of things?

"It's okay, Isolina... You can tell me everything," the young airbender smiled, wanting to help her young friend.

"I had a friend before. They... they killed her... I don't want any more people to die because of me..."

"It's not your fault."

"But my parents too..."

"It won't happen anymore. I promise you. I will stay with you. And I'm sure Asami will too! And Korra and Naga! Nothing can happen to them! They are great and super strong!"

"But... what about you?"

"Me? I am the strongest airbender of my generation! I broke your ice shell, remember?"

Isolina chuckled a little. She remembered pretty well, yes. And she was very impressed. She knew that Reena was smart and strong. Maybe she could actually cope with the bad guys.

"You're not as strong as me, though," Isolina said, sticking her tongue out.

"Wanna bet?"

So, they spent the rest of the day bending a little, without it becoming too serious for them to get hurt, while bickering and playing. Isolina didn't speak any more about her past. But she was relieved that Renna seemed willing to listen to her. She knew that if she felt lonely, if she felt bad, or if she was afraid, she could count on her.

Reena was very different from Lochan, but she liked her a lot too. She wanted to stay with her, like she wanted to stay with Asami. Starting her life here again in Republic City with those people, she liked it, even though she knew she would never forget her past and that she couldn't get rid of it so easily. But perhaps she would come to a little tranquility to accommodate herself.

—

"Ugh! Finally back!" Korra said, throwing herself on the couch, exhausted.

Isolina watched her and followed her, sitting quietly on the armrest.

"I'm sorry we came back so late," the blue-eyed woman apologized. "I hope you weren't too bored. Even if with Reena around, I doubt you can ever feel bored."

"Yes, we had a lot of fun."

"Neat. Well, I guess you're hungry?"

Isolina nodded, so Korra got up to look for some food. She didn't really want to cook anything, and fortunately for her, there were some leftovers in the fridge.

"Asami, you think about everything..." she mumbled, grabbing the leftovers and starting to serve them food in plates.

She then brought the dishes back to Isolina, who was still watching her from the couch. She handed her a plate and cutlery and made herself comfortable on the couch. The girl stared at her, a little intrigued. Korra ended up noticing it.

"What?" she said with something in her mouth.

"We eat here?" Isolina asked.

"Yes, why not?"

"We always eat on the table..."

"We always eat on the table when Asami is here. But we're two... Anyway, unless it bothers you?"

"No... No, it's fine."

Isolina began to nibble on her plate, and they ate in silence. Korra finally cleared before returning to the couch. She sat down, cross-legged, facing Isolina.

"Say, Isolina... I wanted to talk to you about something..." the young Avatar began, a little hesitantly.

The young child turned completely to her and gave her a great attention, curious.

"You know what you asked Asami... you want her to be your mother, right?"

Isolina nodded vigorously.

"I see... Have you considered that if Asami becomes your mother... I could be your second mother?"

It was strange to say that. She knew that she and her wife were now the closest to relatives for Isolina, but to say it out loud was strange.

It seemed, moreover, that the strangeness of the situation made Isolina perplexed. She frowned and looked at Korra without understanding. What did she mean?

"I don't understand," she finally admitted.

"Ah... uh... okay. Well, let's say Asami becomes your mother. So, you would be her adopted daughter. And since Asami is my wife, you would be technically my daughter too. Unless you don't want to! Well, I guess?"

This kind of conversation made her uncomfortable. Asami was doing better with Isolina about this kind of stuff... But she had to be responsible. If Isolina stayed, as she suspected, she had to have a place in her life. And for that, this discussion was necessary. It didn't mean that she felt like explaining her state of mind to the six-year-old girl...

However, it seemed that Isolina understood a little better this time, because her eyes widened with exaggeration, while she formulated an answer.

"People can have two mums?" she asked.

Korra chuckled a little. So, that was why she didn't understand. Such details always escaped her. But it was true that Isolina had admitted to them that they had never met a couple of women before. It seemed that she still had trouble understanding everything.

"Yes, you can have two mums, and even two dads," Korra replied. "The two mums and two dads have love each other very much."

"So, can you be my mum too?"

"Yes. If that's what you want."

"Of course!"

She threw herself into Korra's arms, overwhelmed with enthusiasm. The Avatar smiled. She was happy. The girl had accepted her. Maybe when Asami returned, they could finally decide together to be a real family. She just had to find what she was looking for. And to return quickly. She began to hope that her wife returned very quickly. But at the same time, she was happy to spend some time with Isolina without Asami. She wanted the child to learn to count on her too.

"I know I don't tell you often, but... I love you, little puppy," Korra said, hugging her. "I'm happy that you are part of our life."

"I love you too, Korra! And I want Asami and you to be my mums! That way, we can stay together, right?"

"Yes, we'll stay together. And we'll protect you."

She kissed Isolina on the forehead, before declaring it was time to go to bed. Isolina didn't try to contradict her and got ready. Korra brought Naga back into the girl's room. She ended up wishing her good night, but before leaving her, she added one more thing:

"Isolina... Asami didn't really tell me what you told her. I guess she doesn't want to share things that you had trouble telling her, because she doesn't want to hurt the trust you put in her... But if one day you want to talk to me, I would like to know you better, so... that's it. Then, you know, Asami and I went through sometimes not-very-easy things, so we can surely help you, each with our different ways. Well, that's all. Have a good night. I'm next door if you need."

"Good night, Korra."

The Avatar nodded before closing the door and returning to her room. She also went to bed. This big bed stank of loneliness when Asami wasn't here... Before, she could sleep with Naga in these cases, but now she reassured Isolina: she was all alone. She sighed.

Anyway, she was tired. So, she was just going to sleep. Tomorrow, she had another day with Isolina waiting for her...

—

Jump. Screams. Screams in the middle of the night. Isolina!

Korra got up hurriedly and burst into the child's room. Naga was staring at her and squeaking a little, as if to wake her from her nightmare. But the little girl was like trapped, she fidgeted and spoke, screaming in her sleep.

Korra knew that it was generally not a good idea to wake a person in the middle of a nightmare, but she couldn't really leave her like this. So, she put her hand on Isolina's shoulder and shook it a little, calling her. The latter struggled vaguely, without waking up. The Avatar then thought of another solution. She pinched Isolina's nose so that she couldn't breathe. As a result, the child woke up immediately with a jump, and took a deep breath through her mouth. She was disoriented and panicked for a moment, then she calmed a bit when she saw Korra talking to her calmly.

"I'm sorry for waking you up like that, little puppy. You were having quite a bad dream. You better now?"

Isolina panted for a while, trying to regain a minimum of serenity. She nodded, though, as if it could propel her back into a benignant reality.

"Would you like a hug?" Korra asked.

The little girl was at first a little hesitant, then she took refuge in the Avatar's arms, who hugged her.

"There is nothing to fear here. I promise you. I will protect you. The bad guys are gone. The past is gone. You just have to take care of yourself. It may be long and painful, but you'll get there."

Isolina began to cry a little. She stayed there for long minutes, and Korra comforted her with tenderness.

"Will you be alright now?" the blue-eyed woman finally asked.

Isolina nodded again. Korra got up then in order to leave, but a small hand grabbed hers. She turned to see the little girl, looking down, as if she didn't dare to say or do anything.

"What's the matter?"

"Can I... Can I stay with you tonight? I won't be able to sleep if I'm alone..."

"You are not alone. Naga is with you."

"I know but... I dreamed of mum... when... we were separated... Don't leave me, Korra... Please..."

The Avatar sighed. Apparently, Isolina needed to be with an adult at that time. An adult she could count on and who was close to her like her mother. And Korra could very well fulfill this role.

"Ok, very good. I felt lonely anyway. You're coming to sleep with me?"

"That's ok with you?"

"Of course. I'm sure it wouldn't bother Asami either for you to take her place for a little while. In addition, Naga fell asleep and she's snoring."

The woman and the girl looked at the animal, who was moving her legs a little, as if she were running after prey. She grunted, squeaked, breathed a little hard. Now, Isolina surely needed a place a little calmer if she wanted to go back to sleep. So, Korra took her in her arms and brought her to her room.

She put her under the covers, before heading to the other side of the bed and slip into it too. She turned to Isolina, who was looking at her with curiosity.

"You're comfortable?" Korra asked, worried.

The little girl nodded again.

"Cool. Okay, let's sleep now. It's time."

She was going to close her eyes and try to find a little sleep, but a small body bumped into hers, as if it were trying to stick to it.

"Thank you, Korra..." Isolina murmured.

A little hesitant, the Avatar still put a hand on the child's head, kissing her on her black curls.

"You're welcome, little puppy. Try to have sweet dreams this time."

And one against the other, they fell asleep.

* * *

 **A/N: So, how was it? A little thought? (Even if this chapter is calmer than the last ones?) Thank you for reading, anyway!**

 **By the way, some of you told me about Korra and Isolina's relationship that wasn't developed enough, or something like that. So, this chapter was what was I had planned to handle this problem. I hope it'll be enough! (even if there is still next chapter, since Asami's still away.)**

 **See you later! (One week and a half, or something like that ;))**

 **Lion**


	20. Search — Part Two

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **Here is the new chapter! It's like super late right now, but I had to reread everything. I hope there aren't too many mistakes left. Just tell me if it's the case.**

 **So, we're still on Asami searching and Korra and Isolina spending time together and such.**

 **Have a good reading!**

* * *

The second day was a little more fruitful than the first one.

Asami and Lin hadn't had a lot of sleep, but it was enough to resume the search. Following a lead—which was almost more of an intuition than anything since the elements they had were so thin—they had more or less visited several small towns on the edge of the swamp.

They would always check the missing people first. They had thought that if Dasuke had worked in a town, someone had certainly employed him, and that someone had probably informed of his disappearance.

In the morning they only met dead ends. They first checked the town boards, with the news, and sometimes with crimes (wanted posters, disappearances...). When they couldn't find any, they sometimes went to the local police, who were more or less cooperative. They often left without the information they were looking for. They hoped that it wasn't the right place.

After a lunch break, they began to investigate again. They imagined they could do a tenth of the town by the end of the evening. With a little perseverance, it was possible! That and, the swamp was still considered a risky area: a little unknown, a little strange, a little scary; so there weren't so many people around. What would be harder was to locate the house in which they lived. But one step at a time...

Somewhere around the end of the afternoon, they arrived at a small village. They were lucky and found a board about missing people. No photo, but three names. None was the name of Isolina's father. Yet, they thought he might have used another identity to go unnoticed. After all, they were hunted down. The only problem was: the board didn't specify anything more. They would need to investigate who these people were.

They met the local sheriff. The latter gracefully told them to get lost, which didn't help them. They could have been more insistent, but they would eventually break the law, which wouldn't help them either. They decided to investigate on that themselves.

After talking to several knowledgeable people (including a woman who ran a small inn that wasn't doing very well, and offered them information if they took a room for the night), they ended up with the names of the three people who had informed the police of the disappearances.

They resumed their research, but not without having paid the woman in advance and promised to come back (she hoped to be able to sell them some knickknacks, or at least make them pay for a good meal). The village wasn't very big, so they arrived quickly at the first person.

The person was a woman, too thin, looking sad, her features drawn by fatigue. She had tangled, brown hair and green eyes that had lost liveliness. When she saw them, she smiled vaguely, a little happy that people were interested in her. She informed them that the person who had disappeared was her 13-year-old son a few days ago. Asami was very moved. She didn't imagine the ordeal it must be. Well, she could actually imagine it pretty well... if Isolina were taken away from her, she wasn't sure how she would react. Badly, no doubt. She understood the woman's pain well enough. She even wanted to help her, even if she wasn't there for that.

Lin certainly saw it as she glanced to her, because she cut short the discussion and thanked the woman for talking to them. Then they left, after a last sad smile from the woman who had lost her son. Asami followed Lin, trying not to turn around and to look as impassive as the chief of police.

When they were far enough, she spoke:

"You have to be more careful, Asami... We can't help everyone. Remember, we're here for Isolina."

"I know, I know..." she answered. "I just thought that if I were in this woman's shoes, I would have appreciated a little help."

"It's up to the sheriff to take care of this stuff."

"You cops, you can be so cold... Mako is like that also from time to time. I guess that's why Bolin didn't stay long in the police force."

"This is the only way to do this job properly. Otherwise, you start to deviate from your course, just like you right now. But, I repeat, we can't manage everything."

Asami had nothing to add. Anyway, she knew that Lin was right. She wasn't a policewoman, she was a businesswoman.

Which, at times, might suggest that she was even colder than a policeman, but she wasn't like that.

They finally arrived at the second person they were looking for. It was a man. He was tall, muscular, tattooed: a little scary. It seemed that the person who had disappeared was actually his wife. Unisex name, they couldn't have guessed without checking. So they shortened the visit, thinking that the woman in question might have died from her husband's hands and that he just pretended. But then again, it was none of their business.

"He gave me goosebumps," Asami said once they had gone away.

"Yes, I found him a little weird too..."

By the time they arrived at the third person, the sun was setting. They then met a merchant, who was packing up his belongings, unfolding his parasol to store it with his display in his vehicle.

"Hey, sir! Good evening," Asami said with a smile, as she walked a little faster towards him.

He looked up at her, intrigued.

"Can I do something for you?"

"Yes. In fact, we are looking for someone... And you have reported a disappearance. Could you tell us about it?"

"Umm... no."

The man then turned away from her and resumed packing his things. Asami was surprised. She had her mouth ajar and she didn't really know what to say after being so left out.

"I'm sorry, sir," Lin said, "but it's a police investigation. By refusing to answer us, you are obstructing justice."

She didn't really have any authority outside of Republic City, but he didn't need to know that… Besides, her technique worked quite well, since the man was looking like he was reconsidering the question for a few seconds. Then, he growled.

"Listen, I don't want any trouble, that's all."

"Tell us what you know then."

"Not this evening. Come back tomorrow, and we'll talk about it."

"Very well."

The two women weren't happy about this interview, but they felt they couldn't get more from him anyway. Plus, they were getting tired, especially since they had spent the day with people like him, discussing endlessly to have small pieces of information. The only difference being that the others were more insensitive and stubborn than actually scared. Was he going to run away during the night?

It was with this doubt hovering over their minds that Asami and Lin returned to the inn. The innkeeper almost forced them to eat with her, a delicious, very expensive menu, but the two strangers didn't resist; it wasn't like Asami couldn't afford to pay for the meal anyway.

They took the opportunity to gather more information. They learned from the innkeeper that the merchant wasn't likely to leave. He had been living in this village for 25 years and was a man who loved his little habits. It reassured them a little.

After a good meal, they left. They met in one of the rooms they were granted to make a point on the day and plan the next day.

"With a little luck, this man knew Dasuke and we may not have to keep going to small towns," Lin said.

"I think he did. He had something different from the others. I think we are close to the goal."

"We would be lucky. Well, we'll see tomorrow. Good night, Asami."

"Good night."

Lin left the young woman's room. Asami dropped on the bed.

Yes, soon it would be over. She felt it. Soon she would finally know who Isolina's parents were and what had happened to them. She didn't question Isolina's words, but she wanted to be sure. How many times her friends had been declared dead before reappearing? These kinds of things happened. Which would surely be great for Isolina. Less for her... But as long as Isolina was happy... Yes, as long as she was happy, it didn't matter with whom it would be, even though she would have preferred that person to be her.

Thinking about the little girl, she wondered what Korra and she were doing, what they were talking about... She had wanted to contact them, but one couldn't say that the place was necessarily suitable. There might have been a radio in the inn... Tomorrow. She would do it tomorrow. For now, she was too tired. And indeed, soothed by thoughts of Isolina and Korra, she fell asleep without realizing it.

—

The man put his nose out of his little earthen house. He looked at both sides of the street: nobody. The two women who interrogated him weren't there either. Phew. He only hoped they weren't hidden in a nook to follow him. It was just his luck! And he thought he was done with this story!

He cautiously left his house, sneaking like a shadow into the dark in the narrow streets of the little town. He stopped in front of a small door, at a house that looked like his. He knocked three times on the door, very distinctly, before pausing and knocking one last time. Then he waited.

Seconds later—though it seemed like minutes, because of the sound of his heartbeat—a person opened up, dressed like a soldier, with a menacing look.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You asked me to warn you if someone came to investigate the disappearance of my employee..."

"Someone came?"

He nodded, frightened.

"Who?"

"I don't know. Two women."

The man seemed to think for a moment.

"Very well. I'll talk to my superiors," he said, while proceeding to close the door.

"Wait!" the trader stopped him. "What should I do?"

"Tell them what they want to know. But don't tell them about us. Let us take care of the rest."

He then slammed the door, which made the merchant jump, even though he was expecting it. He sighed a little, relieved that the talk was over. He proceeded to return home. He just had to answer these two women and he would finally be done with this story! But why did he have to employ such a problematic man? He looked like he was a nice boy... But why was there so much agitation about his disappearance? He didn't know and didn't really want to know, because it was suspicious and he wanted to live.

The next day, Lin and Asami were early to see the merchant. He had just finished unpacking and waiting for customers.

"Good morning!" Asami greeted, trying to be enthusiast even if he had been so cold to her the day before.

"Good morning," the man smiled, although it was really forced.

"Well, are you going to talk to us today?" Lin asked, as if she were grumbling. "We have lots of business to take care of."

"I... Of course. What do you want to know?"

"Your employee. Tell us about him."

"Well, yes... He was a kind and strong man. Very strong. One would almost say he was an athlete. And uh... what else?"

"What did he look like?" Asami asked, her fist clenched as if she held hope in the palm of her hand.

"Oh, pretty big. Coming from the Water Tribes judging by the color of his hair and his eyes."

It sounded right. It wasn't precise, but it sounded right.

"He had relatives? A family? A child?" Asami insisted.

"I can't tell you. He was rather the discrete type. He didn't like talking about himself, he was constantly frowning when the subject was brought up. He didn't speak much, and to a few people. He didn't have much acquittances, given that he didn't live in the city."

It was him. Asami was convinced that it was him. It might have been more intuition and hope than anything else, but she was deeply convinced that it was him. Lin, as for her, was watching the exchange without saying anything. She also felt that the evidences led to this conclusion, but she reserved the right to doubt (it was her job).

"Where did he live?" the young green-eyed woman asked.

"Oh, I don't really know. Nobody went to his place, you know. I just know he left by the south of town."

Which could be a false lead from him, because Dasuke wasn't stupid. He wasn't going to lead people to his hideout. So, this piece of information was basically not very useful, since it was so litigious.

"When did he disappear?" Lin continued.

"More than a year ago now."

"I see…"

"Do you know what happened to him?"

"You shouldn't expect to see him again. That's all we can say. Asami, I doubt that we can learn more. We will have to continue the search."

"Oh. Yes. Um... last thing, sir: would mind you telling us which forests are closest? Or rather the parcels of land that can look like a forest?"

"There are so many of them… There is an oasis not far, and the swamp has a few places with a little less water... But it's like it's spread everywhere, I wouldn't be able to tell you."

"Wouldn't you know of a big point-shaped rock somewhere near here. Or of an accident? Something unusual?"

"No, nothing like that..."

"All right, let's stop here then," Lin said. "Thank you for your time."

"Yes, thank you very much!" Asami added.

She left some money for him on the display and they left.

"You didn't have to give him money," the chief of police was exasperated.

"The people here aren't very rich, in case you haven't noticed. And he helped us a lot."

"Yes, it's even strange... He was so reluctant yesterday..."

"That's right... I almost forgot."

"Something is happening without us knowing. I don't like this at all!"

"Mmm... Anyway, we'll be done soon. We just have to find their home now! And we know it's not far from this town! It has to be in the swamp. Somewhere."

"Why not the oasis?"

"This is not the impression I got from what Isolina told me... She didn't mention water or arid areas. I don't think they crossed the desert."

"Very well. You are the one who call the tune after all... Where are we going?"

"Hiking, it seems."

Lin sighed. She didn't know how many days it was going to take. Certainly too long.

"We could fly over the area with the airship," she suggested.

"No, it's too big, we wouldn't be able to go low enough. If the house is hidden among the trees, we wouldn't see it. Another option is to ask your mother."

"I won't bother her for that. Besides, I don't have a clue concerning where she can be."

"Maybe she will find us..."

Maybe, yes... Lin was reconciled with her sister and her mother, so it wasn't particularly bothering if they saw each other, it could even make her happy. It just wasn't in her plans.

Finding no solution to their problem, the two women sank into the forest for several hours...

* * *

Korra was taking a break. It was the middle of the day. She had to take a flying bison ride to get to the other end of Republic City (would this city stop growing one day?) to take care of a quarrel between a wealthy landlord, locals and some bandits. She hadn't really understood the subject of their quarrel, but she had made everyone happy without anyone fighting (although she herself was tempted several times to firebend at their buttocks, because she felt so much like she was talking to the wind).

She had been able to come back in the late morning, and, as Isolina was getting bored, she took on a flying-bison ride. It was her very first time, so she was a little afraid of flying so high in the air. But once she got used to it, she got really happy and excited and she smiled a lot as she was looking down at the city. Korra was a little reassured.

That very morning she had been a little surprised when she had found the young child in her arms. Then she had remembered her nightmare and her request. She had watched her sleep a little. So peaceful, so childish, so angelic. It seemed like the rest of the night had been pretty good. Korra had hesitated but finally had gotten up and prepared, before waking Isolina. She had given her a hug as a hello, and the Avatar had hugged her back.

"Do you want to tell me about your nightmare?" she had asked.

"Not really... Can't we just forget?"

"Maybe you'll forget faster if you talk about it. That could work. I mean, I had a lot of nightmares. I always have a lot of people who want to kill me, so well..."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"I've already had this dream," Isolina said, lowering her head. "It's almost like the day they took me away... Mum tries to help me but... she can't... because she can't walk anymore and she can't waterbend either. There are flames everywhere. They stand in front of her, I don't see her anymore and I shout, but there are only flames, and then... I wake up."

"I see... Asami would certainly have been able to help you better than me... She had the same kind of dream when she was little."

"Really?"

"Yes. Her mother was killed when she was a little older than you. The people who did it set her house on fire, and Asami's dad had to hide her so that they wouldn't kill her like they did with his wife. So she often dreamed about her mother and the burning house."

"Oh…"

"It still happens to her to have those kinds of dreams. But you know what? Now it hurts her less. Because she fought. It's still a memory, but with time, it hurts less. You'll see. It will be the same for you."

"If you say so..." she had answered, still a dark look on her face.

Korra had been afraid that she would start being gloomy again, so she had tried to start the conversation again.

"You said your mother couldn't walk nor waterbend? She had a problem with her legs?"

"A big rock had fallen on her. After that, she had to remain in a chair that rolls..."

"Oh ok, I get it. It's... not pleasant at all," Korra smiled a little, remembering this time in her life.

"How can you know?"

"Oh, well, I spent a few months in a 'chair that rolls', as you say. I couldn't walk or bend any elements because of a madman that had poisoned me."

"Really?"

"Stop asking me that all the time, geez. Why would I lie to you?"

"I don't know... It's weird. You are walking now!"

"It was a long healing process."

Isolina had been silent for a while.

"What I'm trying to tell you," Korra had started again, "is that nothing is set in stone, Isolina. Your past... well, it's your past. It won't change, it won't disappear. But you, you'll change. And after that, it'll be better. But it takes time. And the nightmares don't matter. It's okay if you feel bad. But... talk to us, okay? We won't blame you. We just want to help you."

After this discussion, they had finally joined the Air Temple and Korra had hoped that Isolina could put that horrible night behind her (until the next one...). But she hadn't been able to stay to check how she was doing.  
So at this moment, when she saw Isolina smiling and having fun on the flying bison, she was happy and thought she had fulfilled her role. Making her happy even if it was for a short time, even if a new storm was going to shake her nights for a while... It was a long, painful, perhaps recurrent mission, but it was worth it. She was sure of it.

After a few minutes of flight, they landed back on the island. An Air Acolyte immediately came to meet them, signaling them a radio communication awaiting them.

"It must be Asami," Korra said.

"Really?" Isolina replied, a little more excited than usual.

"Well, we'll see. Come here!"

She held out her hand so that she climbed onto her, and pulled out her kite, flying to the radio.

"Hey, hello," Korra said, taking the radio.

"Korra? It's good to hear you. Is Isolina with you?"

"Yes, right next to me."

The little girl had climbed on Korra's lap, but didn't dare to say anything to the strange talking device. It made it weird. She knew it was a radio, but... no, it was weird.

"How are you, Isolina?" the device crackled.

"F-Fine..."

"You don't sound like it..."

"I miss you... I want to talk to you, not to the box!"

Asami laughed a little, on the other side of the line.

"Yes, I guess it would be better. We'll do that as soon as I get home."

"By the way, when do you come back?" Korra asked.

"I don't know. It seems that I have found from where the documents leaked. You know what documents I'm talking about, huh?"

"I imagine…"

Coded language, seriously? Yes, well, Isolina was beside her, but it was close to ridicule.

"Well, in short, we have an area, but I still have to find the person who did that. Which could take me a while, since I have several... factories to check."

"I see... So nothing really... precise."

"Not really."

Isolina didn't have a clue concerning what she was talking about, so she didn't really try to know more. She just didn't listen, thinking about something else, until she got back into the conversation, all excited about a piece of information she absolutely wanted to share with Asami.

"Asami, Asami! Did you know that Korra could become my mum too? That way, I'll have two mums!"

"Oh... Yes, I... yes, I knew. I guess I didn't take the time to talk to you about it. It didn't really cross my mind."

Inwardly, Korra heard Asami telling her, "Why on earth did you tell her about this?" To what she would have shrugged. She was a minimum concerned, wasn't she?

"So, if I understand correctly, you want Korra to be your mum too?" Asami summed up, more curious and tender than actually angry at her wife for bringing up the subject.

"Yes! That way, we can stay all three together! And with Naga!"

"Isolina... I'm just saying this like that... and maybe it's better to talk about this head-to-head, but... you will not miss having a dad, if you have two mums?"

The little girl remained silent. She didn't know the answer to this question. A dad... But the other men were mean... Only her dad had been nice to her... Nobody could be as good as him.

"Hello?" Asami said, thinking that the line had cut as the silence extended.

"Yes, no, we're still here," Korra replied. "I don't think that Isolina has an answer to this question right now. We'll talk about it tonight."

"Okay. I have to leave you anyway. Lunch break just finished and Lin is already impatient and wants us to leave. But hey, we have work to do. Take care of yourself, both of you. I'll call you back when I'm ready to go home!"

"Ok, see you then!"

They exchanged some more banalities, then Asami hung up. Korra then focused on Isolina.

The latter was still lost in her thoughts, still looking like she was reflecting on Asami's words.

"Hey," Korra asked her. "It doesn't matter if you can't answer the question, you know."

"Why does Asami want me to have a dad?"

"Oh, she doesn't want you to have a dad. I mean, if you wanted to have a dad, that would be problematic, since you would live with two women. We can't honestly invite a man to the house for him to... be there all the time. Anyway."

"But... men are mean."

"What? No, no, they aren't all bad! Look, Bolin, he's nice, isn't he?"

"I suppose…"

"He's Reena's father. And Reena is happy. So, her father is nice to her. And Bolin is nice to everyone anyway."

"That's right…"

"Some women are mean too, you know... It has nothing to do with the gender. It's just that some people are nicer than others."

"Okay…"

"Stop thinking about it. Asami just wanted to know if it would bother you to stay like this with us. To grow up with both of us. I guess it's a bit early to ask you. If you want my opinion, she's doing way too much. Well, do you want to do some bending before I go back to work? I'm sure Rohan is in the area to be healed!"

"Okay…"

Really, Asami had such great ideas... She was going to destroy her morale with her worries. That was why Korra was going to make sure it didn't happen. No, she was going to make sure that this little girl's morale would never go low! She would play the funny mother's part. She liked this role. Yes, she could definitely be doing that in the future...

* * *

After several days of thorough researching, and with the help of the benders of the swamp (who helped them on condition that they pursue those who had set a fire in their swamp), Lin and Asami finally found what they were looking for.

It was a piece of land, with many tall trees. In the middle of all this were the ashes of a house and trees a little burned and blackened because of the heat and the smoke. It was a black spot in the middle of an ocean of luxuriant and brilliant greenery: a shadow that disturbed the light, the sweetness, the tranquility of the place.

It was as if, when one came close to this place, the sounds of the forest, the animals, the birds singing; everything stopped, like a calm ceremony, a hymn to death and to that fatal peace. After so many battles, the war was lost, and only reflecting on those events was left. Taking refuge in front of this enormous rock which governed the places, watching them with a solemn look.

Yes, it was there that Isolina had lived and she had been kidnapped.

Lin and Asami cautiously approached the crime scene. They entered the old house, passing under the charred framework, the wood crunching under their feet and the ashes flying away with the wind.

The young businesswoman hardly dared to move when she saw the body at the entrance. From what she understood from Isolina, it was certainly Hae. Not that she could know... it was nothing more than black bones and charred remains. But she could still see her hand reaching for the door, as if to catch her daughter. A strong emotion then seized her. She was upset by the determination and love of these parents. And yet... they ended up like that.

Feeling tears coming to her eyes, she turned her head a little, only to come across the bone structure of Dasuke, or what looked like him.

Everything was true. And suddenly, it was as if she was taking in the whole story of Isolina again. An invisible fist hit her stomach, compressing her chest and almost forcing her to let out a few tears. She took a deep breath. It was all over. They were dead. She didn't even know them. Why be so upset? It wasn't like she didn't know how it was. Yet... to see it was different.

"Well, it looks like she told you the truth. Her parents died and they burned the corpses. What won't help me to identify them and do my job... I'll call a team on the spot."

"I... Yes, do whatever you want. I'll wait outside."

Asami left. She didn't need to see more than that, to stay longer. She had confirmation of what she wanted to know. And even if it strangely hurt her, at least she could be sure of one thing: from now on, Isolina could stay with her, with them. They were no longer just a host family, but might be just a simple family.

"So?" Hieu asked.

"We're still investigating, but at first glance it's the CEO of Future Industries and the Republic City Police Chief," a subordinate said.

"The CEO of Future Industries? What is the Avatar's wife doing here?"

"We're still trying to figure it out..."

"Very well, do your investigation, but quickly. And immediately contact our Republic City members. I'm joining them immediately. If Isolina is there... it's time to get her back. And this time she will never escape us again."

"Very well, sir."

"Of course, I'm counting on you to inform my brother."

"It goes without saying."

"Good."

Hieu took his jacket and some things and went straight out of the room to Republic City. He was going to find Isolina. This girl had proved her worth. They needed her. She was perfect. Except for her bad temper, but they were definitely going to fix this problem. And no more pampering or anything this time.

"Oh, and I want to be informed if you make any progress," he finished before going out.

He hoped to be able to arrive before these two women. He had the feeling that they would put a spoke in their wheel. They only had to locate Isolina, and quickly.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! What did you think? I hope you can leave a comment or a review ;)**

 **Sorry to stop there, but… the next chapter is like super long. By the way, I started writing the next chapters, and I have no idea how they'll be like because some parts… don't feel right. I'll have to work a little more on… all of them.**

 **The more I come close to the end of this story, the more it gets further away from me (yeah, pretty logical), so I guess it'll be over at chapter 25 or so? Definitely more than 24, though. So, now you know!**

 **And last thing: I have no idea if I'll be able to post next week, so I'm really sorry if I can't. Updates might be a bit more irregular after that too, but… well, we'll manage, I guess. I'll try my best (still want to finish that story soon, even if it doesn't want to xD).**

 **That's all for now! Hope to see you soon!**

 **Lion**

* * *

 **Answer(s) review(s):**

 **firekovu** **: Hey!**

 **Thank you for this long review! :) What can I say? I agree with you concerning the different relationship between Korra, Asami and Isolina. I personally don't have the same relationship with my parents, so… yeah.**

 **I'm glad you sensed the third person writing that felt like a first person POV x) It was my purpose! For the abusing not being graphic, I figured it would be too much. And even if I let my mind wander to that, I decided not to write it. I mean, it wasn't Isolina's story, not directly, anyway. I'm glad you liked chapter 18!**

 **Don't worry about responding late. Thank you for the review and the time you take to read and write! :D See you!**

 **Lion**

 **P.S.: Hope the next chapters will be great too xDD**


	21. Meeting with Danger

**A/N : Hi, everyone!**

 **So, I can finally post on time, and here is chapter 21. It's pretty long and a lot happens. I wrote some parts again because I didn't like it, so I hope you'll like this chapter! Ah, and by the way, my beta couldn't help me finish this chapter, so I tried to correct the things that sounded weird the best I could.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Early in the morning, Korra returned to Isolina's room, who had finally decided to resume sleeping with Naga. She waited patiently beside the young child, looking at her angelic and sleeping face just for a moment. She didn't want to wake her up just yet. Even if the news she had to announce her was likely to please her.

However, it wasn't long before the little girl woke up feeling the presence of the young Avatar beside her.

"Hello," the latter said with a slight caress on her cheek.

Isolina, who was still struggling to open her eyes, snuggled against this subtle caress for a moment and replied with a sleepy but warm smile. It had been a bit like that every morning since Asami had left, and they liked this little habit. But that might have to change soon, because…

"I heard from Asami this morning," the blue-eyed woman said. "She's coming back today. Well, somewhere in the evening or at night, but she's coming back soon."

"Really?" Isolina enthused.

Suddenly, she was completely awake! She had straightened up quickly, climbing on Korra's knees, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. The latter laughed a little, gently placing her hand on the brown-haired head.

"Yes, really. I thought you would like it."

"Does it mean that Asami will tell me if I can stay here? If you can be my mums?"

"Yes. This time, I promise you she won't get away with it. I'll make sure of it."

She winked at the little girl who threw herself zealously into her arms.

"Thanks, Korra! I love you!" Isolina almost shouted.

Korra laughed because of that overflowing enthusiasm but didn't fail to tell Isolina that she loved her too. She wouldn't want her to forget that she was there for her, to protect her, no matter what.

"Do you think you can get her to accept for sure?" Isolina asked, wanting to stack all the odds in her favor.

The young child's almost Machiavellian obstinacy made Korra chuckle again. Nevertheless, she answered her seriously and calmly, although she was a little amused.

"It doesn't work like that, little puppy. But if you want my personal opinion on this matter... I don't think there is any need for someone to force her to do anything."

The little waterbender thought about these words for a moment. She wondered how she was supposed to understand them. But deciding that she absolutely wanted things to work in her favor, she decided that it was necessarily positive and she began to grin widely.

Korra laughed again when seeing her head illuminated with such a joy, and then asked her to get ready. She didn't intend to stay all day at home waiting for her very dear wife to come home, especially since it would be so late. It was the last day she spent alone with Isolina, she wanted to enjoy it.

So, they ended up going out. It was the weekend but Korra still went to the Air Temple Island to check if everything was fine. Finally, she was asked to take Reena for a ride as well. Which didn't bother her too much, since Reena was a really nice girl (although very energetic) and that Isolina enjoyed being with her.

Indeed, as soon as the two friends met again, they began an absorbing discussion, choreographed by great movements and excesses of emotions. Isolina couldn't help sharing the morning news with her friend and Reena was also very happy about Asami's return, given that she knew it would make her friend deeply happy. She had no doubts about Asami's decision. It was won in advance. And with this, Isolina could stay with her!

The Avatar let them chat for a moment. She just took a flying bison so they could move to Republic City. Once they were on it, she allowed herself to do some acrobatics to amuse the six-year-old who was still amazed by this means of transport. And, amused by her friend's fascination, the young airbender didn't hesitate to rub it in. She started flying beside the animal with her jumpsuit, spinning, disappearing and appearing as she pleased among the clouds, followed by Isolina's curious eyes.

"Can I go too?" the six-year-old girl asked.

"Isolina... you're not an airbender, you can't do that."

"But I can play in the sky too!"

"You can?"

Korra had the great misfortune to pronounce these words with a curious tone of voice. Then, Isolina nodded seriously before jumping out of flying buffalo. The blue-eyed woman, terrified, didn't even have time to hold her back. She was already speeding up the buffalo to catch the little girl.

However, to her surprise, she was actually beside her. She surfed on ice slides, which were appearing after a cloud transformation. The Avatar looked at her curiously. Yes, it was surely a way to fly in the air for a waterbender.

Isolina slid down to the end of a toboggan, went into the air, before being caught by another one and so on. Korra took care to transform the slides back into clouds, so that the ice didn't fall on Republic City and kill someone by accident.

Although she knew that the talents of the little waterbender were extraordinary, she took her back aboard the flying bison after only a few seconds. Reena came to land near her the second Isolina was on board again.

"That was too cool!" the airbender exclaimed.

Isolina smiled, proud of her. Korra couldn't contradict these words. But she mumbled anyway:

"If Asami had been here, she would have killed me..."

She sighed and laughed a little.

"Next time you want to do something risky like that, please warn me beforehand, Isolina," she said. "I was scared to death, you don't know how much."

The two children laughed a little, a little careless, but mostly having fun. Finally, Korra laughed with them.

They continued their acrobatic feats for a bit, and Korra brought down the flying bison. They landed in a park, where they spent the rest of their time.

"We've been here before!" Isolina shouted, recognizing the place.

"Yes, one time. You have a good memory."

"You wanted to climb up the tree!"

"You can climb at the top of the tree?" Reena cut in with enthusiasm.

"Yes, but I'm not sure it's necessarily a good idea."

The young airbender ignored her completely and began to air-jump from branch to branch to go higher and higher. She eventually reached the top of the tree without any difficulty. From up there, she shouted:

"You're right, you can! It's nice here!"

"Reena, come down here," the Avatar asked, a hand on her hip.

"Can I go with her?" Isolina asked, getting enthusiast when seeing her friend doing it.

"Sorry, Isolina, but it's out of the question. I don't want to argue with Asami, if she came to learn about it by any chance…"

The little girl didn't insist any more, especially since Reena jumped from the tree to land next to them a few seconds later. So they stayed in this park to chat cheerfully or to observe nature, to play.

The day passed. They ate and wandered around Republic City, and soon Korra brought Reena back to Opal, and Isolina home.

Even though she was tired, the little girl tried to stay awake. She wanted to see Asami. She wanted her answer. And as soon as possible! Realizing that she wouldn't have the last word, the blue-eyed woman still asked Isolina to get ready to go to sleep, claiming she would have to do so after she saw Asami. Then she put her to bed, but promised to stay with her. Isolina thought she wouldn't fall asleep, but it was just an unreachable hope: she was far too tired.

So, once the child was asleep, Korra also went to her room. She also thought she could wait for her wife. And she fell asleep too, but for a short time...

* * *

Asami was waiting on a rock, looking at the careful search that was made on the property in ashes. After their discovery, Lin had called a team of investigators. They had returned to wait for them in a nearby city, the journey taking time and the place not being easily localizable. They had had to spend another night in a hotel, then they had left the next day with a bunch of investigators and scientists torn by fatigue. Then, the search had begun.

The young businesswoman had been waiting since then. It was almost noon, she was bored, had nothing to do there, and had only one desire: going home and seeing Isolina and Korra. As she had no obligation, she returned to the city to make a call and tell them of her upcoming return.

In truth, there was no programmed return, and she imagined that Lin's investigation would be long. However, she really wanted to leave. So, she just had to convince the chief of police. Which, in itself, shouldn't cause too much trouble, she thought. What was more problematic was that she was the one who brought her to this place in the middle of nowhere and that the investigators weren't really from Republic City. So, basically, if she left, Lin had no way back.

Asami sighed. Why was time so slow? She had tried several times to talk to Lin, especially about her escape plan, but she considered herself too busy to listen to her; she was in charge of the operations, was called by a lot of people, and made communications via a portable radio to Republic City. In a way, Asami could understand, having found herself in this kind of situation a few times. But that wasn't reason enough to ignore her so much!

"Well, well, Asami Sato in my swamp... What does the Avatar's wife do in my little piece of heaven?" a voice from behind her asked.

The young woman, surprised, jumped before turning around. She then came face to face with a small woman looking into the void, and who looked a little hunchbacked.

"Toph!" she exclaimed. "I didn't think I would see you."

"What should I say?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Just spotting all these noises. The benders of the swamp kept talking about it and I don't like to feel under my feet all those little ants that invade my swamp. Why are they here?"

"Oh, it's... um... a double homicide and a kidnapping happened here."

"You are well informed."

"I... yes, sort of. We found the place with Lin."

"I see... I don't really care usually, but Lin's still my kid: so what is she doing here? She's chief in Republic City."

"It's a long story... But in fact, it's my fault. I wanted to find this place no matter what and convinced Lin to come with me. Except that things aren't really my responsibility and I would like to go... You wouldn't happen to know something about the former inhabitants of this house by chance? It would be easier to identify them."

"Do you often go looking for houses in swamps where people you don't know were murdered? Your story has absolutely no sense."

"As I said, it's a long story."

"I've got plenty of time. But skip all the unnecessary stuff."

Toph pulled a small mound out of the ground to sit down and put her bottom on it, as if to say: "Well, I'm listening, are you going to talk or what?" Asami's eyes widened for a moment, she stammered a little, but ended up telling the reason for their coming to Toph. She told her about Isolina and the organization they had to stop.

"So, that's why there is all this mess," the famous earthbender concluded.

Asami didn't add a word. She didn't really have any comment to make. Besides, she thought that the word "mess" suited the whole story quite well.

"I had never met them," Toph said.

"Who?"

"The two burnt corpses. And the kid. I had spotted them from afar, but they did everything to be discreet, so I never got involved in their business. But since then people have come here regularly... They are hiding and spying—not enough so that I wouldn't notice them though. I don't think you should stick around."

"Unfortunately, I have to wait for Lin, and it turns out that she is determined to finish this investigation…"

"Leave without her."

"And I would leave her alone here without any way to return?"

"I'll inform her."

"You give weird advice…"

"It's up to you."

Toph stood up, judging she was done. She walked away a little, sinking into the swamp.

Asami sighed. And here she was: she was still alone, waiting and bored... Such a great joy... And the more minutes passed, the more bored she was, the more attractive Toph's idea appeared to her. But she couldn't leave Lin behind. She was going to kill her, or be angry with her forever. She had to admit that they couldn't stop disagreeing because of this investigation, so giving her a new reason to fight certainly wasn't the best option.

She tried again to speak to the chief of police. She had almost found a breach and Lin was about to give her the opportunity to have a conversation when a beam from the burnt house began to scream painfully and to fall slowly.

"You fools!" the chief of police grumbled. "Don't destroy the crime scene any more! It was very stable so far! Excuse me, Asami, I have to leave you."

The CEO groaned. She definitely wasn't lucky. She noticed Toph, who had returned to the edge of the demarcation between the found place and the deeper swamp. The old woman smirked at her, and Asami smiled, shaking her head. She joined her.

"I'm taking care of Lin. Go ahead," the former police chief reiterated.

"Alright. I'll say hello to Korra from you!"

"Do as you like…"

The green-eyed young woman let out a laugh before leaving. Toph could have been irritated if, at that moment, she wasn't distracted by a presence. She tried to locate it precisely but... it must have disappeared. She still had a bad feeling. That's why she kept watching Lin flail a little, and then when she found a way to get in touch with her, she imposed herself.

She was delighted to surprise her daughter, who took her away from all other people.

As if she were some kind a man-eating monster...

"What are you doing here?" Lin asked.

"I happened to be close. Then, I was tasked with a mission."

"A mission?"

"Your very dear associate ran away."

"She what?"

Lin looked around quickly to see that Asami was no longer there.

"I can't believe it…" she growled.

"You should follow her."

"I have work here."

"I thought I felt someone. And as apparently these guys were involved with shady business…"

"Do you think they're following her?"

"Perhaps. I don't know."

Lin groaned again. Could she really risk Asami's life? But it was a simple intuition from her mother... Not that they were often wrong... But she had so much work here! They had really sent a team of incompetents to her. Nothing to do with her officers in Republic City.

"I wouldn't want anything to happen to her," Toph continued.

Lin raised an eyebrow. She wasn't particularly used to having her mother worry about the people around her. At least she didn't let it notice.

"The Avatar could be back in my swamp and goodbye to my peace!"

Valid excuse.

"If it's work that worries you, leave, I'm going to supervise this bunch of morons," she continued. "I was chief of police before you."

"I... Are you sure?" her daughter was surprised.

"Do I often speak for nothing? Come on, go."

Lin didn't try to parley more. She thanked her, then left to join Asami on the run. She had to find her before she left!

—

Asami had joined pretty quickly the hotel where they had stayed. They had left their hiking gear there as they didn't walk so many miles that day. To her surprise, when she had finished packing her things and headed for the exit, she came across the police chief, who was slightly panting.

"At least you could have informed me!" the older woman scolded.

"I tried, but you didn't listen to me... Then, if you weren't informed, you wouldn't be here."

"I'm coming back with you."

"Take your things then. Let's go."

Lin did what the businesswoman had advised her to and they joined the airship. During the journey, what the police chief feared was confirmed: her mother was right, she also felt like they were being followed. So, instead of going directly to the airship, Lin pretended an urge to pee for them to take refuge in a sort of shabby restaurant-bar, in a dark corner where indiscreet ears wouldn't listen.

"I think we're being followed," Lin said, looking serious.

Asami grimaced. It thwarted her plans...

"Are you sure you want to go home now?" Lin asked. "We could lead them directly to Isolina and Korra."

"I don't think that's the problem…"

"What do you mean?"

"If we are followed, I imagine they already know who we are. And... they may already be there. We can't say that we are people who can really travel incognito…"

"You're right... In this case, we will have to go back in emergency and set protective measures up."

"Alright, but why would they keep spying on us?"

"It can only be a bad sign…"

Aware of the new risks they faced, the two women left the building, trying not to look suspicious. They joined the airship, where Asami knew there was a functional radio (they couldn't stop on the road, out of fear that they listened to their conversations. But once in the air, they shouldn't have this problem).

When they arrived, they were normally welcomed by Asami's employees. She checked that everyone was there, and apparently there had been no problem during their absence. However, both women were suspicious. Then, on the control board, Asami hesitated before turning on the engine.

"Do you think they did something to the machine?" Lin asked.

"I don't know, but I would rather check."

She called her mechanics and asked to check the engine room, where she went for a quick tour, as well as for the rest of the aircraft.

"So?" the police chief asked.

"Nothing. But I have a bad feeling... Why follow us if it's not to slow us down?"

"I really don't know. They may be just obsessed with control. Anyway, we don't have time for that. Turn it on."

Asami nodded and started the machine. It was at this precise moment that the entire dashboard was filled with a sudden wave of electricity that shut down some devices. Some even gave off a slight smoke.

"Shit! It can't be!" Asami exclaimed.

She turned off everything immediately, to prevent further damage, but the damage was done.

"Well, you were right, they did something..." Lin winced. "How long to repair?"

"I don't know... But what I do know is that even if I manage to form a coherent circuit with what didn't burn, they made sure that the radio is out of use; which means that we have absolutely no way to warn Korra…"

"She's the Avatar, she should manage…" Lin tried to comfort, a little helpless.

"Right, that's her excuse for everything. But this time, she doesn't only have to protect herself, she must protect a girl! And they will surely try a surprise attack."

"She'll manage. Don't think about it. Repair this airship. I'll see if I can't find a backup solution."

Lin left, leaving Asami to her torments. Don't worry? Good joke. The lives of the two people she loved the most in the world were surely in danger, and it was her fault, because she had come here, in the middle of nowhere, and she couldn't do anything to interfere.

No, it was wrong. She could do something. She could repair this airship and arrive on time. She had to.

So, trying to ignore her dark thoughts, she contacted her team and they quickly started to work.

Meanwhile, Lin went out. She had three missions: to try to find another way of transportation (she doubted she could), to try to find a radio (the last one they had seen was at several hours of walking and she couldn't really go that far) and to catch that damned spy. If she succeeded in one of these three missions, maybe everything would be fine for Korra and Isolina. As long as everything went well...

* * *

More screams in the night... Isolina was surely having a nightmare. Korra got up, a little dizzy. It was the third this week. And _she_ thought they had had a good day until then...

The Avatar entered the room and found out that Isolina was indeed having a nightmare. She woke her up and Isolina took several minutes to calm down in her arms.

"Asami hasn't returned yet?" she asked, desiring to see her in order to finally have a hug from the green-eyed woman. Korra's hugs were good too, but… she wanted one from Asami.

"She hasn't," Korra stated. "Not yet. But she should be here soon."

"Can you tell me a story?"

It was a little ritual between Isolina and her. When the girl had a nightmare or didn't feel well, they talked. Isolina ended up talking a little about her past, but she always stopped before crying. So, Korra let her. And often she asked her to tell her something that had happened to her in exchange, like one of her numerous adventures or her bending feats.

She liked to hear how Korra had faced and defeated the bad guys. She thought she could beat the bad guys too, the ones who hurt her. She also liked when Korra shared anecdotes about her life in a wheelchair: it reminded her of her mother.

Sometimes Korra would tell her about her own nightmares, but then she would laugh them off to show her that it wasn't that bad. A nightmare was still a nightmare, something that may have happened, but it still happened only through imagination.

It reassured her a bit, to think that Korra was like her. She wanted to be as strong as Korra. She wanted to laugh her nightmares off too. But for now, she couldn't. So, she comforted herself by listening to these stories and thinking that one day she could do the same.

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"A story with Asami."

"With Asami? What do you want to know? How we fought together?"

"I don't know… I think I just miss her…"

"So do I. It's because we love her, we want her to be with us."

"Have you loved Asami for a long time?"

"Yes, it's been a while."

"Since when?"

"I don't really know… Well, I mean, I liked her before, as a friend. Then, I liked her another way."

Isolina merely stared at her, frowning, puzzled. Her question sounded simple, but the answer was complicated…

"What?" Korra asked.

"I don't get it…"

"What don't you understand?"

"What you said… It doesn't answer my question!"

As a consequence, Korra laughed, seeing the young child's bothered expression. Maybe these kinds of things were too complicated for now? Which didn't mean she couldn't try to explain them to her.

"Okay, so… After I met Asami, a few years ago, we started being friends, see? Like you and Reena: we were very good friends. We fought together, we faced some not-really-easy things, but we could generally count on each other, as friends, as best friends. And then, I was poisoned, we were separated and… it turned out we ended up being closer?"

"That… doesn't make sense," she grumbled, trying as hard as she could to understand.

Korra laughed again.

"Maybe you're right," she started again. "But you know, sometimes when someone is very far and that you miss this person a lot, you realize how much they mean to you. And when Asami and I got separated, we figured we didn't want that to ever happen again."

"But she's far now!"

"Not for long. And now we are bonded differently. Now, Asami is my wife, she's my family. I know she'll come back. For me. For you too, now."

"For me?"

"Yes, for you. You really mean a lot to her. She loves you a lot. And I love you a lot too."

"As you love Asami?"

Korra chuckled.

"Not exactly," she answered, smiling and caressing the child's cheek.

"How, then?"

"There are a lot of different loves. But Asami and I can love you like your parents loved you. I want you to be my daughter too, Isolina. Our daughter."

"I'd like that too," the young child said, repressing a yawn.

Ah yeah, it was late… And overall, it was dark night. It was certainly time to stop this talk. She made it so that Isolina would lie down again and encouraged her to go back to sleep.

"But Asami is coming back soon…" she protested.

"I'll come wake you up at that moment." the Avatar promised.

She didn't need to add anything, because Isolina's eyes were already closing on their own, and she could scarcely finish her sentence that the little girl was already falling back to sleep. Korra was about to leave when she noticed Naga standing with her ears up.

"What's up, girl?" she asked her, caressing her head.

Normally, Naga looked at her then and gave her a little licking. But not this time. And Korra began to worry. Her polar bear-dog was grumbling. So, the Avatar let her go and followed her. The animal made her way to the exit door. Maybe Asami had returned? But why would Naga grumble at Asami? She was used to her, she wouldn't do that.

Korra followed Naga into the garden. The polar bear-dog sniffed the air, turning her head from side to side without stopping grunting. The Avatar took a flame in her hand, and looked around. Nothing.

"There's nothing here, Naga. What's up with you?"

As she said that, she heard a noise and turned around. Ten men, armed to the teeth, fell from the roof of the house. Korra immediately took a battle position. But they didn't attack her. Why weren't they attacking?

Isolina! She was what they wanted! And she was inside, that is, out of her reach. As long as she was out of her reach, she wasn't bothering them, so they had no reason to attack her.

"Naga!" Korra shouted.

She then punched the earth, causing an earthy wave. The polar bear-dog knew what she had to do: she grabbed the men into the air, tackling them to the ground.

Korra took advantage of the breach to return into the mansion. Some benders had managed to get up and attacked from behind, but she deflected their attacks and erected a wall in front of the entrance of the house. This didn't prevent a non-bender from sneaking behind her. With extreme speed, he blocked her way, and Korra was forced to confront him. But... she didn't have time for that!

She blocked his movements, counter-attacking with her airbending. She finally made a ball of air around her, which she made explode when her enemy was in the air, throwing him violently against a wall. He was stunned, and she could pass. She went straight back to Isolina's room.

There were three men inside. The little girl was against a wall and was fighting with a thin trickle of water, surely drawn from the air, looking terrified.

"Leave her alone!" Korra ordered, arriving in the room.

The three men glared at her, then immediately after a block of dirt was thrown at her chest, as well as a fireball. She protected herself, but was nevertheless thrown a few steps behind. She heard Isolina call her, alarmed.

She couldn't see her anymore. There was a wall of flames between them. As if it were going to stop her!

Once she had recovered from the shock, she rushed into the flames, crossing them to reach the room. But there was no one left. The window was open. Korra didn't hesitate; she jumped out the window. Immediately, she was surrounded by even more benders.

"Leave the girl to us and we won't hurt you, Avatar," a man said in the shadows, a little further back. "Well... not this time."

"Anything else?"

"Very well. Look carefully, Isolina. That's what you could do, if only you would listen to us."

Korra then felt her whole body tense, twist, and... disintegrate. If she let them, they would kill her, erase her from the Earth, atomizing her. But... she was the Avatar. She had several generations of power behind... Well, she had had several generations of power and wisdom behind her. But she remembered one thing: she was more powerful. She had always been more powerful than bloodbending. Her mind was stronger. But... she didn't know which bender was bloodbending her. It didn't matter. She was going to beat them all, and she was going to get Isolina back.

Her eyes began to shine and breakers from each element pushed her enemies away, freeing her from bloodbending: they couldn't control Raava. She wasn't just a body; she was two spirits.

"You can't beat us. Leave the girl alone now."

"Mmm... No, I'll have to decline. We figured it could go that way."

Korra, who had taken height, was then pressed to the ground. Metal. It was metal. Why couldn't she move it?

"Maybe you can bend platinum? No? We can."

A few benders stayed around her, making sure she didn't leave, but another part of the militia was starting to flee with Isolina. They escaped her... She was failing...

"No!" she shouted.

"Korra!"

* * *

The repairs took a lot longer than wanted. The sun was setting. Asami couldn't find any spare parts, so she had done with what she could find. Result: most of the functions of the airship were no longer usable, but they could probably fly. Not safely, but they could fly, and it was an emergency.

Lin had been back for a while, and came about every ten minutes to see if it would be finished soon. Asami pretended not to notice her, but she knew what that meant: time was passing, time was running out.

"Let's take off," she finally said when Lin returned.

"Really? It can fly?" the police chief asked.

"It can. As for bringing us back there safely, I don't know yet…"

Lin winced.

"I'm sorry Lin, but if I were to do more repairs, I would need more hours and I can't guarantee the result. We have to go _now_."

"I know. I trust you. Let's go."

Then, without further explanation, Asami turned on the engine. It worked. They took off. The main problem was that they had to navigate only with their eyesight. She no longer had any means of control, neither the altitude nor the geographical position: nothing. She had turned off all the alarms that would tell her that she was crazy, flying in these conditions, endangering everyone's life, but... she had no choice!

She spent an hour flying the machine, stamping her foot, pacing, her jaw clenched and sometimes letting out heavy sighs, as if to calm down inside. Of course, it didn't work at all: she was boiling inside, with so much rage and anxiety.

She kept thinking of Isolina and Korra. Would they arrive in time? How were they doing? Had they really found the trace of the little girl?

And while all these questions tortured her, she couldn't help but think it was her fault. If she had listened to Lin, they might not have found them so quickly. She had been so stupid!

"You should rest," Lin told her.

The young businesswoman laughed bitterly.

"That's what I was actually thinking..." she replied sarcastically.

"Asami, this trip has exhausted you. You're at your wits' end, I can understand it, but…"

"Do you know how I feel? I feel exactly the same as the day Korra was captured by Zaheer. Except this time, two lives are at stake. One of which has barely begun. How do you want me to rest?"

"Maybe they are not there. Maybe we extrapolated."

"Yeah, sure… But hey, congratulations, you were right: I should never have come."

"If this organization is so secret and powerful, they would have found her anyway, as Zaheer managed to enter Zaofu."

Asami didn't answer. She had nothing to answer. She was too desperate for that. She only wanted to collapse on the spot. If anything happened to Isolina or Korra... she didn't know what she would do.

She then felt a hand on her shoulder that made her jump.

"Look, if you want to mop, do it while lying down," Lin advised. "I'll stay here and watch the direction. But rest for at least an hour. If we get there and you're too weak to fight, it's going to cause harm to us."

Asami clenched her fists. She said nothing, but walked to the room she owned during the flight, falling on the bed. Yes, it had been like that too, the day they had kidnapped Korra, the day before they poisoned her, before they almost killed her. She had also been told to rest. She ended up worrying more than anything until Korra came to talk to her. Only that way they managed to get a little "rest" (although the word was quite relative).

The young woman sighed. This time there was nobody with her. There was only the anguish that was clinging to her heart, making it beat disproportionately, as if it were trying to push it away with furious and indomitable beatings. However, even if her heart was a good bull, the dark tamer was stronger.

She couldn't sleep. But she lay down and breathed, trying to calm her nervous frenzy. She had to keep up her strength and fight for what was dear to her: no matter how hard or how difficult it was or the sacrifices.

—

"Asami, you can't drive!" Lin shouted as she was pursuing her.

It was the middle of the night, the airship had arrived safe and sound (except for the landing, but Asami didn't care and had left as if she had gotten mad). The young businesswoman meant to join her car and exceed all speed limits to return home as soon as possible. She was completely overwhelmed by her anxiety and she knew it. But she didn't care much.

"I don't give a damn!" Asami shouted.

"Let me drive!"

"No! I drive, period! I can travel this city ten times faster than anyone else, so I'm just going to use it for once! If you're scared, you take a taxi!"

"I'm not leaving you alone!"

"Well, then, that settles it."

The CEO slammed the car door, put the keys in the contact and started. Lin had barely got in, that she was already accelerating at full speed. The police chief thought she was also ignoring common sense, but she just fastened her seatbelt and shut up while gritting her teeth. She noticed several times that Asami was shaking and she had tears in her eyes while driving, but she pretended that she didn't notice those details, otherwise she would never have stayed in that car.

The journey was chaotic: she endured accelerations and sharp braking, tight turns at full speed, speed bumps without slowing down, and many other things. Miraculously, they arrived safe and sound at the mansion. Unfortunately, they couldn't be relieved or rejoiced, faced with the awful spectacle unfolding before their eyes: Isolina was in the arms of a man who was fleeing and Korra was pinned up to the ground, surrounded by a lake of lava and assailants.

Without thinking, Asami, glove on her hand, rushed after Isolina. Lin then went to the Avatar in trouble.

Since they didn't expect new protagonists to take part in the scene , they didn't notice Asami until she started electrocuting everyone after the man who had Isolina. Unfortunately, she electrocuted only three before they realized her presence. Two benders rushed toward her in order to stop her. She electrocuted them too.

"Stop her," the man said.

And all of a sudden, she couldn't move. Her body... She was trapped in her body... She knew exactly what it was, and she knew she had no way to fight bloodbending. She let out a moan of pain, trying to struggle against this invisible force.

"Rest assured, Miss Sato, I'm not going to kill you. We don't want the Avatar to go after us."

"It may be complicated, Hieu," she retorted. "We'd chase you to hell for Isolina."

She let out a new cry. She felt her joints about to break. Her body was bending in a way that seemed impossible to her.

"Asami!" Isolina shouted.

She struggled, pushed hard on her arms to free herself from their grasp. But she was too small, too puny, she didn't have enough strength against adults. She couldn't do anything, her bending was useless, she was useless and Asami...

She was doomed to watch the young woman suffer, bend, writhe, hear her moan, scream, gasp, until her body gave up... But she didn't want it to give up! She wanted to protect her! She wanted to stay with her! She wanted her to live!

Observing her helplessness, watching this impenetrable distress, she felt herself invaded by a keen despair she hadn't felt since she was with Asami. Diving back suddenly into these dark emotions made her overwhelmed, she felt drawn to the bottom of an ocean of desolation, of nothingness.

Sensing the tears coming to her eyes, she could only look away, containing all this immense pain by closing her eyes.

"Well... so, you know my name?" Hieu questioned, both slightly surprised and cruelly amused. "Interesting. I assume she said it to you. You know the rule though, Isolina: we don't talk about the organization to foreigners, otherwise... they die."

The CEO screamed once more, with a deafening and shrill cry.

Isolina wanted to cover her ears, to withdraw them in order not to hear the torn voice of the person she loved the most in the world bursting her heart with the most acute pains, not to hear her suffer, die... That's what they were going to do, huh? They were still going to kill, and it was her fault. Because she had spoken. Again, she was going to cause the deaths of the people she loved.

Out of desperation, she tried to escape again, she struggled, she scratched, but mainly she cried. She cried over her helplessness.

"Asami…" she sobbed, daring to look one last time at the body hanging in the air, which was almost like a bowl.

"Isolina..." the young woman articulated, trying her hardest to be heard. "My blood... Bend my blood."

The words were so weak, interrupted by so many gasps and groans of pain that Isolina almost missed them. But she understood.

It was the only way for her to be okay, for them to be okay. It was what she had to do to save Asami.

So, even if it disgusted her, she bent Hieu's blood to free herself, then walking away she tried to take the control over Asami's body. She hated this, she loathed this with all her being, but she didn't stop, because this time she knew it was right. She sensed the other bender's presence, it was hard for her to bend, they were fighting within the young woman's body... He was strong, surely stronger, but at least it allowed Asami to breathe normally again and to have a normal position.

The young CEO blew. She staggered. She felt dizzy and wanted to vomit. She thought she was going to faint, but she didn't have time for that: she had to take care of these guys. Isolina had just to resist a little longer... But she wasn't strong enough: Asami couldn't move.

"Well... Old methods then..."

Hieu took out a knife.

—

Lin had quickly assessed the situation: six benders around Korra, an Avatar in the Avatar state under a gigantic metal slab. Why couldn't she move it?

She knocked out four benders when she arrived, then the two others immediately attacked her: a lavabender and a metalbender... Awesome.

"Korra, what are you doing?" Lin shouted as she was avoiding the attacks.

"I can't move. It's platinum!"

"Platinum? But it's impossible to bend platinum!"

"Not for him! Watch out!"

Lin, just in time, blocked the strips of metal that came near her with a slab of dirt. She had to release Korra. But with two guys against her, it was complicated. She could resist them for a moment, but she needed backups.

She glanced at Asami as she rolled to avoid a jet of lava: the young woman looked in a bad situation. She was alone. Quick. At least she had to find a way to free Korra.

Platinum... She couldn't bend platinum! She had already tried, it was completely impossible! But... Korra was on the ground. She just had to release her from below. She couldn't do it herself because she was stuck, she couldn't move, but Lin could certainly do it for her. She just had to find an opening...

At that moment, Naga showed up, rushing at the two benders who freaked out, a little surprised. They took half a second to protect themselves from the polar bear dog; half a second that was enough for Lin to propel herself towards Korra and to bend the blocks of earth below her to get her out.

"Thanks, Lin!"

Immediately, the Avatar resumed the attack, starting to repel the enemies. They felt uncomfortable and withdrew towards their leader, who was approaching Asami with a knife in his hand, while the waterbender who accompanied him and Isolina seemed to battle with their eyes.

"Idiots! What are you doing!" Hieu shouted.

"We are losing!"

Hieu glanced around to notice that all the low-leveled benders were defeated. They remained only the best of them, their exceptions, their best weapons. He couldn't afford to lose them just for Isolina. It was too dangerous. He then put away the blade:

"Let's go!"

Then the earthbender removed an enormous block of soil from the ground, discovering groundwater. Lin and Korra prepared to deflect it, but he didn't throw it. Instead, the waterbender used the water to create an immense fog that would dissimulate their escape.

Lin gritted her teeth. Oh no, they weren't going away so easily! She could feel them!

"I'll go after them! "

Korra was on the verge of following her to assist her, but she heard Isolina scream:

"Asami!"

Suddenly turning around, she noticed at this moment her wife barely standing, falling. She knew that Isolina would try to support her, but she would never manage. Then the blue-eyed woman threw herself on Asami before she fell. She was barely conscious, her eyes half closed. Shit!

Isolina in a moment was also near the young green-eyed woman, half lying on Korra, who were knelt down. The little girl looked at her face, eyes and cheeks all still bathed in tears and worry.

"What did they do to her?" Korra asked, running a hand on her wife's forehead, ready to heal her.

"They… They bloodbent her…"

Korra gritted her teeth. She couldn't do anything against that... She just had to wait for Asami to recover. She tried to probe her quickly, checking her vital constants. She was breathing, her pulse was a little weak, but Asami was a fighter. She was going to wake up in a few minutes. She sighed a little.

Thinking that her wife was out of danger, she refocused on the little girl, who was really worried.

"What about you? Are you ok?" she asked.

Isolina nodded. She was still trembling, she couldn't think very much and she was terribly upset, but she didn't really want to talk about it. She just wanted Asami to be fine.

Then, silently, she waited with Korra for Asami to wake up, both staring at her patiently (because they had no choice) and anxiously (because they were worried). The green-eyed woman finally growled with a frown, before bringing a hand to her face.

"I have such a bad headache," she said.

"Can you get up? "the Avatar asked. "You'll be better at home..."

"Isolina?" she asked, worried, what happened to the child appearing a little vague.

"She's here. She is fine."

Isolina then ventured to touch Asami's arm, to signal her presence. The young woman removed her hand from her face and opened her eyes with difficulty. At first dazzled by the little light there was, she frowned, then when she saw the child's downcast, worried and sad face, she smiled weakly.

"Everything is fine," she told her, with a slight caress.

She then began to stand up, leaning on Korra. But before they could join the mansion, or even take a few steps, Lin came back, out of breath.

"They escaped from you?" the Avatar asked, surprised.

"I couldn't spot them by the ground... It was blur... as if it was in water. They must have used lava. I'll call the police. Do you have a phone? A radio?"

"Inside."

The three women and the little girl headed to the mansion. Once they were inside, Korra asked Isolina to extinguish the fire they had incidentally put in her room, while she was lying Asami down on the couch and Lin was using the radio. Isolina, although she didn't want to leave the green-eyed woman, obeyed. She was going to do that fast!

"I'm home," Asami said once she was alone with her wife, though she wasn't really in a joking mood.

"I think I figured. We'll remember that time of you getting home," Korra said almost smiling as she kissed her wife's forehead.

"I missed you…"

"You should sleep instead of talking."

"No. I'm just waiting to regain my strength…"

Isolina came down again at that moment. She approached Asami. Seeing her so tired and remembering what had just happened brought tears to her eyes. She didn't know thanks to what miracle, how she was still alive.

She had thought she would lose her. She had thought she was going to die too! Leaving her alone with terrible memories while they were going to torture her again! She was at once so happy, so frightened, so upset and desperate. So, she began to cry, burying her head on her abdomen.

"I'm sorry, Asami! I'm sorry!" she said.

"Shh, shh... It's not your fault. Everything is fine. It's over."

She stroked the black curls. Isolina cried. Korra took her in her arms. Another traumatic event, huh? It was as if it were never over…

Finally, Lin came down again, saying that she had sent troops in search of their attackers and that other police members were arriving on the spot to take care of those who remained there.

For more than two hours, the police swarmed in the mansion. Everyone got a small interrogation, pictures of the "crime scene" were taken, and all the culprits were arrested. It only stopped when the morning was up. Lin had allowed them to stay, condemning Isolina's room and placing White Lotus guards and policemen around the mansion.

Asami sent Isolina to sleep in their room, saying they would join her once Korra and she finished talking. The blue-eyed young woman didn't know what her wife wanted to talk about and it made her worry a bit.

They isolated themselves, in an office, in a wing a little further from the center of the manor. It was a dark room, where Asami didn't like to go, because she had spent a lot of time with her father there. Blackout curtains prevented the light from getting in, most of the time.

This time, she opened them, discovering the big empty desk, where only a small lamp took a center stage; the different models of miniature satomobiles, as well as various other constructions; prototypes of engines or other things with which she loved to play when she was small. This office was almost more of her old playroom...

She went to the window, watching the guards of the White Lotus and the policemen. She had a dark and serious face, a little pale and very worried. And Korra had noticed it. She said nothing, dreading what Asami was going to tell her.

Finally, leaning on the doorframe, with a vague look and arms folded over her chest, she finally declared flatly:

"She can't stay with us."

Korra was taken aback. How was she supposed to take that? What did she mean?

"What do you mean "she can't stay with us"?" she asked, incredulous.

"She must go away. We are too exposed, it's too dangerous."

"So, in your opinion, the solution is to abandon her?"

"It's to make her disappear."

"To make her disappear?"

"Exactly like your parents did when you were little. They will find her a family, she will be protected, she can start over."

"You can't do that to her!" Korra started to get angry.

"It's for her good," Asami said with a resigned tone.

"Her good? But do you think five seconds of how she's going to handle this? She was only waiting for one thing: for you to be her mother! For us to be her mothers! She wanted to start over with _us_!"

"It's impossible, Korra!" the green-eyed woman ended up shouting, turning suddenly to her wife, with hurt in her eyes. "You are the Avatar, I am a CEO: we are the most famous couple of the four nations! Whatever we do, they'll always find our trace, and consequently hers. We were lucky today, but next time, they'll manage to kidnap her! I can't risk it!"

"You're just scared!"

"Maybe, but I prefer being afraid and have her safe and sound than the opposite!"

"We can protect her! We know who we are fighting! Lin is with us: we'll find them. After that, everything will be fine."

"And how long will it take, huh? In a short time, it'll be ten years since you were poisoned by the Red Lotus! Ten years! And guess what? Their network is still not shot down!"

"It's totally different!"

"It's exactly the same thing, Korra! We can't put her in danger any longer like that! It's selfish!"

" _You_ are selfish! You're only afraid of being hurt again! You're afraid of losing someone you love as you lost your mother and your father!"

"That's not!..."

She stopped, before starting again a little more calmly.

"Okay, if you want. But I don't see the harm if it saves their lives!"

"Well, you know what, Asami? If you ever dare to do that, it's not just Isolina that you'll lose." Korra retorted, furious and bitter.

The young woman with green eyes was shaken. She… She didn't imply that…

She wasn't able to end this thought, because it sounded too extraordinary and impossible to her; but also excessively painful, deadly painful.

"You're threatening me?" she asked, not letting an ounce of fear or hesitation show through her firm voice.

"I'm warning you: there'll be consequences for your actions," Korra answered with the same tone. "I love you, Asami. But I also love, Isolina. And I don't agree at all with what you want for her. You forget us completely, her and me."

"It's for her safety!"

"For her security that we can guarantee!"

"It's wrong! It's completely wrong! And you'll realize! I won't go back on what I said."

"Fine! Neither will I! I'll sleep with Isolina! So, just do whatever you want and sleep somewhere else, since you don't care so much about either of us!"

Korra left furiously and slammed the door, leaving Asami behind who was continuing their fight, mumbling insults. She ended up going out of the room, after closing back the curtain. She went into one of the other rooms in the manor, to try to have a few hours of sleep. But her thoughts, as if taken in a terrible storm, kept her awake for a while longer.

—

When Korra arrived at the door of her room, she took a deep breath before entering, exhaling a little of all the tension and anger that had taken over her during her quarrel with Asami. A serious one... It rarely happened to them. And it was a quarrel that wasn't over... And who was at stake was just behind that door... No need to think about it. Not for now.

Once she got inside, she snuck into the bed, hoping not to wake the little girl. But the latter still hadn't fallen asleep.

"Did you two have a fight?" she asked, when she felt Korra beside her.

"Sleep, Isolina, it's not... it's okay," she lied

"Did you fight because of me?" the little girl kept questioning, because she had heard the voices raising.

"No, of course not. Sleep, and we'll talk about it tomorrow, okay?"

Talk about it tomorrow... They wouldn't talk about it with Isolina. It was something between Asami and her. Korra knew they were both stubborn and trying to do the best they could, so she knew the story could drag on for a while.

Isolina turned around and crawled to Korra, sticking to her. She held her clothes tightly, in her little fists, starting to cry again.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry…"she said between two sobs.

"It's not your fault, Isolina... Nothing's your fault... Everything's fine," the Avatar tried to soothe her.

"But Asami... They almost…"

"I know. But it's not your fault. Everything is fine now."

"But... and you..."

"I'm fine. I'm not hurt, and I have experienced much worse. We just got very scared for you."

"I don't want to, Korra... I don't want any more people to be hurt because of me... It's like that all the time!"

"Isolina, if no one does anything, they'll hurt _you_. No matter what happens, we'll stop them. Calm down. It's over now."

"They'll come back... They always do..."

"Yes, but this time, we have the help of the police and the White Lotus. They protected me when I was little and when I wasn't well. They will do the same for you. You can rest peacefully. You are safe here, with me. I'll protect you."

"I don't want you to protect me if it's dangerous..."

"The bad guys are always dangerous. You need to be brave. So, dry your tears, little puppy. It's over."

Isolina cried again, letting her tears run with all the fear and pain she had felt during the last few hours. Korra took her in her arms, kissing her and caressing her to comfort her, until she calmed down and fell asleep.

She looked at her while she was sleeping, her cheeks still marked with all the dried tears. How could Asami give her to someone else? She needed them. If whatever happened, that the police or the White Lotus weren't there, only them were strong enough to step in. And even if they weren't, they had so much power and influence that they could turn the whole Earth upside-down for this child.

But Isolina was also deeply bonded to both of them. She needed them to comfort her, to love her, to live.

She had made the right choice: whatever happened, she couldn't let Asami do such a thing. Whether it's for her good or not, Isolina would stay with her. She was convinced that her life was destined to be with theirs.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Any thoughts? I would be glad to hear them! Well, if not, I'll see you all in one week and a half.**

 **Lion**

* * *

 **Answer(s) review(s) guest:**

 **firekovu** **: Hi!**

 **Thank you very much for your review :D Yes, the organization is a bit big. I'm glad you liked me mentioning the 'dad problem', because I wasn't quite sure it would work x) Like, maybe it was a little 'too much'. But yeah, I think it's normal to think about it even a little. I mean, kids (and even adults to some extent) are so used to couples composed of a man and a woman that it can be confusing. But I think like you: as long as parents are loving, it doesn't really matter.**

 **Don't worry, I don't rush the chapters ;) I like them to feel right. Or mostly right. I hope you'll like them! (And this one too!) Anyway, thank you for your long reviews and your nice and warming encouragements. It means a lot :)**

 **See you!**

 **Lion**


	22. Alone

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **Here is the new chapter. Try to read it while… not being too upset. I'll see you all at the end (for all the complaints xD)**

 **I didn't have any help for the correction, so there may be mistakes and other stuff. I'm sorry if there are.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It was time... Lin was waiting outside and Korra... was missing. Asami sighed, closing the zipper of the suitcase.

She had made the right choice. Nothing to say about it. Korra could be stubborn as much as she wanted, she was just unaware of the dangers that lay ahead. Yet…

The green-eyed woman looked up at the little girl sitting on the bed, absently caressing her little purple toy that hadn't left her since she came here.

Yet, it hurt pretty bad.

She looked at the face of this little girl she loved so much and that she would never see again—or if she would, it would be at a street corner or randomly in a shop. She seemed elsewhere, withdrawn into an imaginary world, where perhaps she felt less hurt. Because Asami knew that Isolina was upset with her too, and so much more than Korra. It had been several days since she had shut herself up, that she almost ignored her.

The young CEO had tried to explain to her, but there was nothing to do. This deep air of sadness, of despair, that dark blackness in which her consciousness had escaped, didn't leave, didn't fade, even for a little bit. All of sudden she was carrying all the miseries of the world again, this immense, unbelievable burden she was carrying when she tried to hide her parents' death. But this time, this burden was weighed down by this new hardship, this complete and absolute separation, frightful and heartbreaking, by this unknown in which Asami was pushing her.

"Isolina... We have to go," the young woman said weakly.

She would have liked to appear colder, she would have liked her heart to be colder, so that she wouldn't feel this throbbing pain when she uttered these words so that she wouldn't want to go back, to stop everything, to please her selfish heart. She shook her head internally. And even though her mind was shaking because of the hardships she was enduring and her heart was threatening to leave her, she stood, asserted, clenching her fists.

She took Isolina's things and started taking them out of the room, waiting for the little girl on the threshold. The latter almost dropped from the bed to stand up. And it's in this slumped posture like a weeping willow that she dragged her feet out of where she had lived for months, to move towards a "safe" unknown.

In silence, like a solemn procession, the woman and the girl left the mansion. Asami gave all of Isolina's belongings to one of the three policemen who surrounded Lin, who was in front of a police car.

There was almost only the wind blowing, as he placed the goods in the trunk of the car.

Asami didn't look at Isolina. She didn't have the strength to do so. She was looking at Lin, who was almost chilling as she gauged the atmosphere. She glanced at the little girl, whose arms were dangling, a purple teddy bear dragging on the ground which she was staring at with a dire expression. She looked again at Asami who was trying to look serious, cold, detached; but she knew she wasn't.

Well... it was time to go... wasn't it?

"Let's go," Lin said, a little less rough than usual. "Isolina, get in the car, please."

The little girl began to take a few resigned steps towards the police car, dragging her feet. She looked more like a culprit that the police had just arrested than the little girl they were trying to save.

"Wait!..." Asami exclaimed, unable to restrain herself.

Isolina stopped; she had her back to her. The businesswoman joined her and knelt down.

"Isolina... I..."

She pulled a little on her sleeve so that she returned and finally faced her one last time. And indeed, she turned, but didn't look at her. Asami noticed it but didn't look for her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she told her, looking at the floor like her.

She paused.

"It's better like that."

"You really think so?" Isolina asked, faintly, an overwhelming emotion in her voice.

Asami looked up and met the blue, almost transparent gaze, letting only the tears that covered it appear impulsively.

"I..." she tried, a lump in her throat. "Yes…"

"I don't want to leave, Asami! I don't want to!"

"Isolina…"

She jumped at her neck, squeezing her as hard as she could in her arms, as if she could merge with her and that would prevent her from leaving. Isolina was crying loudly, shivering, screaming. Asami was static. She was trembling from the inside, she was upset too, she wanted to scream, to tear that heart that made her suffer so much at that moment. But she didn't move, didn't say anything.

"Don't leave me, Asami! Don't leave me!" the little girl sobbed.

What am I doing? she wondered.

Destroying her. She was destroying, breaking a child's heart. She was breaking her own heart. And for what? For her to be happy and to survive, to live, to be safe, but far from her.

If only I could do otherwise, she thought.

But because she was unable to, she felt tears coming to her eyes too. And unable to talk, suffocating, she pushed Isolina away gently, trying to stop this effusion of affection and sadness that could change her mind.

"I'm so sorry, Isolina..." she told her, trying to make sure her voice didn't tremble. "I love you."

She kissed her one last time on the forehead and turned around, without the child ever seeing the tears that were beginning to run down her cheeks.

A few seconds passed, Isolina's tears weren't soothing. Lin tried to intervene.

"Isolina... the car…"

Then the little girl was suddenly touched by a lighting of seriousness. Her tears stopped almost instantly. And she only said:

"It's not true."

"What's not true, kid?" Lin asked.

"She doesn't really love me... Otherwise, she would let me stay…"

There was silence for a moment. Lin knew it was wrong, but if she said it, she was afraid that this hard separation would only take longer for the same result. So she hurried Isolina into the car and shut the door.

Asami, meanwhile, heard the words hissing in her ears. Childish words, overly simplistic inferences, without knowing the facts, words uttered only because of an incredible feeling of injustice; and yet, they were just as bad, they made her want to die not to hear the cries of her heart fighting with her reason, she wanted to collapse right there.

She heard the door slam. She began to flee. She had to leave, far away, where the air was breathable and where she wouldn't feel like the world was breaking apart. But as she started to join the manor, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn't turn around, but heard Lin say to her:

"You made the right choice. We will protect her."

"If anything happens to her…" Asami warned with a threatening and broken voice.

"I know."

Asami made a slight move with her shoulder to free herself from Lin's grasp and went back inside, closing the door behind her.

The police chief sighed. She knew it was going to be hard for Asami for a while. She had done so much to keep this kid... But that was it: it just wasn't supposed to happen like that.

Before turning around and leaving, Lin looked up at the roof. She had seen the Avatar watching the entire scene from above. She gave her a nod, like a secret promise to protect Isolina. She didn't look for an answer in the blue-eyed woman's impassive face and left.

Almost immediately, Korra opened her kite to leave as well. She had nothing to do with this mansion anymore.

"Idiot…" she grumbled. "You've really messed up hard on that one, Asami."

She then flew away, chasing one of her tears that flew into the wind and disappeared, as if Isolina had been a parenthesis, she was also disappearing, suddenly.

—

"Lu? Yes, it's Asami... I... I don't think I'll be able to come to work today. I... Yes, no, of course everything is fine."

Everything is worse than ever.

"No, don't worry. I'll be back tomorrow."

Yes, the next day everything would be better. The next day, her sorrow would be gone. The next day, Isolina would be safe. Far, but safe. It didn't concern her anymore. She wasn't her daughter, she would never be.

"Asami, take more time if you need to," Lu advised. "I don't know what's going on, but you really don't sound good."

"I'm fine. Everything is fine. I need to work. See you tomorrow, goodbye."

Her voice broke at the end of the call. She hung up urgently and burst into tears. Well, it was that it couldn't stay inside much longer... So, she let herself cry. After all, she had all day for that. And the night too.

She didn't have to worry about anyone. She was alone in her big house. Alone, isolated, quiet, but not at peace. She knew that Korra wouldn't come back this evening. How could she? For almost a week, they had been in a permanent struggle, that they had had arguments again and again, hard and cold looks, rage and venom...

Finally, Asami had had to do without her wife's opinion, and she had decided with Lin what to do. Korra had shouted at her, she had shouted at her like never before; Asami had tried to remain stoic. Then, the blue-eyed woman had left, doing what she had threatened to do before. She had sometimes come back the week before, but it was only to see Isolina. So, the young CEO knew she wouldn't come back tonight.

She also knew that it was redoubling her pain, that she needed her, but they couldn't see each other for the moment. The love they shared was disturbed by too much bitterness and hard feelings. So, Asami knew she had to leave her wife alone. She wasn't strong enough to see anyone for the moment, anyway.

She just went to her room and lay on the bed, where Isolina's smell still permeated the place. She missed her already... And so much...

—

Korra had had a bed prepared in the Air Temple during the day. She had done her job, hadn't caused any problems, had talked with a lot of people: her daily lot. Only, once it was over, she didn't go home. She ate with the residents of the Air Temple Island, who were happy to see her but couldn't help wondering. However, Korra behaved as usual, so what could they really do?

Once supper was over, the Avatar went out. She wandered a bit on the island, enjoying the fresh air, with Naga accompanying her. She joined the little patio where she sometimes stopped to think, maybe a little too long. She thought of Asami and of all the times she had joined her at that same place, bringing her some warmth or a little tenderness. She sighed. No, she couldn't stay there, or she would want to go home. And she was still angry: it was out of the question for her to go home.

She returned to her room, even though it was still early in the evening. Oh, well, a good night sleep wouldn't hurt. But as she decided to sleep, she heard someone knock on the door. After her authorization, the person entered. It was Opal, who was looking at her with eyes filled with both concern and pity.

"Hey. Are you sure you don't want to go home? One can't say that the beds are the most comfortable here."

"I had time to get used to it."

"It's been a while since you last lived here, you may be more used to Asami's mattress now."

Korra didn't really answer. It was probably true, but why would it concern her?

"Did you two get into a fight?" the airbender finally asked after a short pause.

Korra groaned.

"Something like that," she replied.

"And so, you didn't find anything better than to sleep elsewhere?"

"I don't want to see Asami now. So yes, I'm sleeping elsewhere."

"She knows?"

"That I won't come home? Mmm... Yes, she must know."

"You didn't tell her anything?"

"No need. I had warned her."

"She could still worry…"

"I don't care."

Seeing that Korra didn't really want to talk about what was happening to her, but not wanting to let it go, Opal thought of another angle of attack. One that she knew was effective.

"Do you really think it's good for the girl to have two parents openly fighting like that? You could at least make an effort for her."

"It's no use…"

"Of course it is! Isolina could…"

"Isolina is no longer at home," Korra said.

The Avatar caressed her pet, without another word. That's it, it was said. Now that Opal had the last word of the story, she might stop her remarks. The latter was speechless, taken aback. These words seemed unreal to her, so much so that she couldn't help but ask for confirmation of what she had heard, but Korra didn't answer. It wasn't necessary.

"That's why she didn't come to see me last week?" a weak little voice asked behind Opal.

The two women turned to the child who had listened the conversation, worrying about her friend whom she hadn't seen for a week. She rarely spent so much time without seeing her, so she knew there was a problem.

"Reena..." Korra murmured, seeing the child's hurt eyes reflecting her own inner pain.

"Sweetheart," Opal said, beginning to stroke her hair.

The little girl pulled away from the caress and rushed towards Korra, almost bumping into her and climbing onto her.

"Where is she?" she asked, demanding. "Where is Isolina?"

"I... I don't know, Reena," Korra admitted. "I don't know where she is."

"Why! Why don't you know?"

"Because… because she left. And... I couldn't do anything."

"Left? Why would she leave? She wanted you and Asami to be her new family!"

"I know... I know, that's what I wanted too, but…"

Korra looked away from Reena's so inquisitive and tortuous eyes. She couldn't continue this conversation. Everything that she had avoided all day was coming back, like a dart that would hit the bull's-eye when it could only aim at it until now.

She put her hands on her face.

"I don't want to talk about it. Could you leave?"

"But... Korra... Is Isolina okay? Something happened to her?"

"No... No, she's fine. She's safe now... but she won't come back."

Reena opened her mouth to keep going, to find out exactly what had happened to her friend, but her mother took her by the shoulders. When the young airbender turned, she saw her mother shaking her head: the conversation was over, it was time to leave.

Then the mother and daughter got out, and Opal closed the door.

"But Mom! We can't stay there without doing anything!"

"Reena, I know she's your friend, you miss her and you want to understand what's going on—I want that too—but I don't think we can intervene. Let Korra rest. It's hard for her too, you know. When she gets better, you can ask her for more details, okay?"

"Okay…" Reena said between her teeth, driven by fatality.

She wasn't okay with it, but she was going to do what was asked of her, because that was perhaps the only way to really know what was going on.

On the other side of the door, Korra buried her head in her arms, as if it could protect her from that inner pain she had tried to forget. She had heard the conversation between Reena and Opal. She knew she couldn't stay here without doing anything either. But she couldn't do anything. It was too late now. Isolina was gone and no one, except for the police, knew where she was. Even if she found her, as long as Asami wouldn't change her mind, she couldn't do anything.

And even if she did so, Isolina was already destined for a new life they didn't belong to.

Naga squeaked a bit, nudging Korra's arms. She was sad too. But she supported her mistress above all. They shared the same pain. Then Korra lifted her head a little and smiled sadly at her polar-bear dog. She stroked her on her head, as she said:

"I know... I miss them too..."

* * *

Asami had kept her promise, and the day after she had returned to work despite this feeling of constant emptiness fixed deep in her being. Lu had tried to test the water, to gauge her condition, but he had found only seriousness and a wall of coldness to conceal her feelings. He didn't like that. He didn't like it at all. However, he didn't allow himself to make any comment and let his CEO do her work.

The days that followed, he realized that it was probably even worse than he thought. Asami was almost cloistered in her office, she didn't bother going home, he wasn't sure she was eating (in any case, he never saw her taking her lunch break, but he had reasons to believe that she had small snacks with her when needed), and she worked like hell. When he saw her in this state, there were two reasons: it was a time of war or deep crisis, or she wasn't really well and took refuge in her work. This time, he opted for the second option.

He had heard about the incident at the Sato Mansion, although no one really knew what had happened. They were rumors that said that the Avatar was attacked by a group from the Red Lotus, but that they had been repulsed and an investigation was undertaken.

He doubted that it was this simple fact that made his boss so upset; it wouldn't have been the first time such a thing happened. He had also heard that the Avatar was currently staying at the Air Temple, which was quite strange. There was a lot of speculations about it too.

But there was one detail that caught his attention: what did Asami and Korra do with Isolina if they were living separately? Normally, the young CEO took Isolina to work with her, even only once a week. But since she had returned from her holidays, Lu hadn't seen Isolina anymore.

He thought that she must be the cause of the problem. He didn't really get the impression that Asami and Korra often had trouble with their relationship, and it had been a long time since he started being the assistant of the CEO of Future Industries.

However, he didn't want to interfere with his boss's privacy (not too much). So, instead of tackling the problem directly, he insisted that Asami get some fresh air. He went so far as to call in the cleaner in the middle of the day to have an excuse to force her to leave. Asami was a bit bitter, but didn't say anything and left.

She took her satomobile and roamed the streets of Republic City. At every street corner, a memory attacked her: a once-joyful memory, which was now painful. This quick stroll became unbearable to her, she soon decided to stop. Her eyes fell on the Air Temple Island, so far in the middle of the waters...

Since the situation was so bad, she could certainly do that...

Then she went to the Air Temple Island, where she met Opal, who greeted her and smiled.

"I'm looking for Korra," she told her, a little flatly, even coldly. She didn't really know which.

She wasn't really paying attention to how she spoke. She didn't care. Opal wanted a bit to grimace seeing the lifeless look of the two green emeralds. So, Asami wasn't really any better than Korra, if not worse... But maybe they could talk about it.

It was with this (slim) hope in mind that the airbender guided Asami to the Avatar.

"Korra, a visitor for you," Opal said.

She turned around, freezing a little when she saw her wife.

"Asami…"

"Will you come back soon?" she asked tactlessly.

"It's not really in my immediate plans, no," she answered with the same tone of voice, her confusion going away immediately.

"Are you planning to come back someday?"

"I guess."

"What do you want, Korra? Do you want us to stop? To divorce? Like this?"

"No, of course not."

"So what?"

Korra thought for a moment, her blue eyes fixed on her wife's. She didn't expect that kind of thing. She only knew that staying away was right for her for the moment. But... she couldn't do that forever. She couldn't ruin what they had, everything they had built.

"I want you to apologize..." she began.

"I'm sorry," Asami said immediately.

"… and admit that you were wrong."

The CEO looked at her wife, squinting slightly.

"Ah. I see," she said. "No. I can't do that."

"You're so stubborn, it's unbelievable!"

"Because you're not, maybe?"

"At least, I say it when I'm wrong!"

"Korra, I repeated it to you like fifty times: that was the best thing to do! For her, anyway!"

"You never thought of us in the story! That's not what I want, but maybe _this_ is going to be the end of our relationship."

"I…"

Asami took a deep breath, then began to speak again:

"We've already talked about this, I'm not going to argue with you on the same subject. Anyway, it's done, and neither you nor I can do anything about it. So, if you want to keep avoiding me and if you actually plan on leaving me, so be it. It's up to you. But... after all we've gone through, I find it silly that we don't even try to fix things. So when you want to see me... you'll know where to find me."

The green-eyed young woman turned around and walked, heading for Opal, who had taken a little distance to let them talk quietly (which didn't stop her from hearing them screaming at each other, and grimacing a little).

Korra had a slight bitterness in her mouth to let her go like that. She knew she was right. It would be a shame to abandon their couple, which was nothing like fragile and superfluous, just like that. Sure, the distress was great, but for now, she was only destroying it a little every day, as if immersed in a delicious bath of eternal acid.

"Asami!..." she shouted, though she had nothing to say.

Her wife turned around, and seeing Korra's indecipherable look and her lips a little pinched, she almost smiled, softening a little.

"I love you, Korra," she told her.

"I know. I love you too."

So, they smiled at each other slightly, then parted ways. What they shared wasn't dead, just harder to see in the darkness of those times. Light. They were going to find some light. And maybe then, they could pick up the pieces of what was broken on the ground in the shadows to rebuild something even more beautiful.

Opal escorted Asami to the port, in silence. She felt that her friend was slightly more peaceful than when she arrived. Slightly only. But she was glad to know that her two friends didn't hate each other. They had problems, but that could surely be solved. At least, she hoped.

As she walked her, they met Reena.

"Reena!" Opal called. "Come and say hello to Asami."

The little girl stopped, looked at the green-eyed woman—even glared at her—but turned her back and fled. It was... new, and unusual.

"She knows?" Asami asked, neutrally.

"Yes."

"Korra told her?"

"She didn't really have a choice... Reena came to harass her every night to find out what had happened to Isolina."

"I see."

They resumed walking a little in silence, then suddenly Asami laughed. With a sour, bitter, mad laugh.

Opal looked at her strangely, wondering what had gotten into her.

"I must admit that the day I took her with me and the day I abandoned her, I didn't think it was going to hurt so much, and so many people."

"You didn't abandon her…"

"That's what Korra thinks, that's what Reena thinks, and Isolina too. She hates me. And she is right. But... I didn't have a choice…"

"We always have a choice, Asami. Just try to figure out which one is best."

"It was this one."

"Then everything will be back in order."

"I hope so. And I also hope she will be happy now…"

Asami stared at the sky, her eyes filled with tears and hope, but also with a lot of tenderness. She closed her eyes for a moment.

"Yes, she'll be happy... even without us..."

Opal smiled sadly. She wasn't sure she could figure out who was right or wrong concerning this question. But she sincerely hoped that everything would be fine and that Isolina was fine no matter where she was.

* * *

The following week, Asami returned a few times to the Air Temple Island. She didn't ask Korra to come back, she wasn't there for that. They were just taking a few breaks together, drinking coffee just to get some fresh air, like two old acquaintances. They talked. It was both pleasant and strange, like an old air of déjà-vu, an old melody that would have started to play again, but this time with notes that had been a little erased by time.

They felt like they were going back to the beginning of their relationship, before they were together. They were taming each other again, getting used to each other again and to this strange element that now existed between them: a microscopic void but filled with so many electric, burning, painful feelings. It was a necessary step.

The young CEO knew she had done harm and she really wanted to be forgiven. She felt alone at home, of course, but she wouldn't ask Korra to come back, until she was ready. She wanted to be with her wife again, but not under bad conditions. This kind of break, long and languid, was a good thing. It taught them both to live together and separately, as two lovers and two individuals. They would almost forget, because their core had been two for so long, then three... and back to two.

Korra, on the other hand, was surprised to meet Asami so often. But she had to admit that it gave her a lot of pleasure. After a few times only, she let herself show a little more of gentleness and tenderness. She heard Asami's pain whispering in her ear, she felt her entire being lamenting as much as hers did.

She sometimes allowed herself a few kisses, and they sometimes hugged each other in a warm moment of contentment and well-being. And deep down, Korra knew she was about to go home. But this situation pleased her too. Her situation with Asami pleased her, being on Air Temple Island pleased her—she was often busy and it saved her from having to remember that at home there were other sad memories that would come back to her.

Towards the end of the week, in the evening, as the wind rose, Asami decided to leave. Korra suggested she stay for dinner, she could even stay for the night. The young woman declined, but not without thanking her and kissing her.

"You know, maybe we should have a date one of these days," the green-eyed woman said. "It's been a long time."

"That's actually a good idea!"

"Shall I come back to see you tomorrow?"

"With pleasure," she smiled.

The CEO returned her smile, then left. She went straight home. She passed the unoccupied guest room, whose door was closed. She put her hand on the door. It hadn't been reopened since the fire. Asami had been thinking about doing something about it, but she hadn't had the courage yet.

Interrupting her silent contemplations, she realized that people were trying to get in touch with her. So she proceeded to take the call:

"Asami Sato."

"Asami, it's Lin."

"Oh, hello, Lin. How are you?"

"Well. And you?"

"Very well."

"Okay..." the police chief replied, in a tone that showed that she didn't believe her. "I only called you to tell you it was done."

"Ah. Perfect. She... she's fine?" she couldn't help asking, trembling words escaping her mouth faster than she could realize it.

"As good as you can imagine."

Asami grimaced. Bad. She imagined she was bad... But it was a necessary evil. A necessary evil…

"They... they will be good for her?" she asked.

"Asami…" Lin growled.

"I know, I know. I don't try to know anything about them and I won't interfere. I just want to know if she'll be fine with them."

"They are very nice people."

"I'm happy, then."

"Gotta go, Asami. Take good care of yourself."

The conversation ended.

So, Isolina had a family...

She had asked to be notified. She wanted to know. She thought it would relieve her. But it didn't help her at all. On the contrary, it hurt her even more. She knew that the little girl wasn't well. But... she would be better. She had to get better. At that moment, she prayed to the Spirits for a moment so that Isolina would always be fine. She deserved to live happy. It was all she wanted, nothing else. And she had to live happily too, without that little angel whose wings had been cut off.

So she went up again, went one last time to the door of the guest room, before calling a company that could rearrange it all. It may have been futile to erase the past so materially, but she had no other way for now. She was going to erase that fire, that cursed attack, that filthy act that had forced her to give up on one of her dearest things.

* * *

Meeting with partners. End of the day. End of the week. Asami was tired.

But like an iceberg, whose all of human emotions and weaknesses were hidden under water, she stood before this honorable assembly, strong and authoritarian. She argued convincingly, presented graphs, figures, helped by her clever team she trusted. She was listened to attentively; her words were trusted.

In those moments, she knew that she couldn't make any mistakes. She represented a powerful company, she represented Republic City for which she had done so much, she represented the advent of technology in a traditional and spiritual world, she represented the possibility for people and Spirits to live together. It was all this that gave her so much power, but also so much responsibilities.

So, if there was something she hated in such moments, it was mishaps.

Interrupting the meeting—which he never did—his assistant opened the door. At first nobody paid attention to him. Asami had seen him out of the corner of her eye and made a slight sign of incomprehension to him, telling him to leave.

Lu tried to speak, but he knew that Asami didn't like being interrupted. She had already been angry with her wife several times when she came out unexpectedly with a random emergency. He didn't particularly want to be the target of her wrath, but...

"Miss Sato, a call for you," he said.

Everyone turned to him and his CEO shot a look both filled with disbelief and irritation at him. Yeah, he expected it.

"Tell them I'll call back in an hour. - I'm in a meeting as you can see," she replied strictly.

Everyone turned back to Asami who undertook to continue her speech. Lu would have easily given up if he didn't know it was terribly important. He fidgeted a little, uncomfortable, before taking a breath and interrupting her again:

"Asami, it _is_ important," he said, a little harder even though his voice was shaking a little.

The green-eyed woman looked at him again, frowning. Lu never called her by her first name in the presence of important collaborators. Something was wrong. Something really bad. A wave of panic rose within her. She didn't know what was waiting for her, but she was afraid of it.

However, she kept her head up and slowly walked out of the meeting room with a light but asserted:

"Please excuse me."

Just out of the room, Lu handed her the phone. She took it immediately.

"Asami Sato. Yes…"

Lu saw her face crumple and turn horribly pale in just a few seconds, as if all her blood had left her being. He was even afraid that she would suddenly faint. But instead, he heard her get carried away like never before:

" _She did what_?!"

She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Then, still keeping the phone in her hand—although, she was trembling quite a lot—, she ran a hand on her face, closing her eyes and listening attentively to what seemed like a rather long explanation from the person on the other end.

When it was over, Asami said in a decided and unequivocal tone, while a little fragile:

"I'm on my way."

She hung up. She remained silent for a moment, her head in her hands. Lu stood there, staring at her, watching her. He was really scared for her, worried about what she was doing and what she was going to do (he hoped it wouldn't be a heart-attack).

Strangely enough, she laughed, and Lu worried more: she hadn't gone mad, though? She pulled her hands from her face and leaned on the desk, supported by both hands, closing her eyes, her eyelashes soaked with salty drops.

"I can't believe it..." she said.

"Asami?" Lu worried.

She looked up at him with her green eyes, her green eyes, so frightened and vulnerable, so different from what she had showed a few minutes ago.

One of the people from the meeting room had come out, alarmed by Asami's panicked tone—it could almost be heard throughout the whole floor, and it turned out that the meeting room door had remained open.

"Miss Sato?" he asked, a bit discreetly, also worried by the CEO's expression. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes… No. Nothing's all right. I need to go; my daughter needs me. Lu…

"Of course."

They nodded at each other, at the same time—they understood each other perfectly—, and Asami ran away.

It wasn't what she was supposed to do, it was against all the barriers she had erected this past week, it broke out in a thousand pieces the resolutions she had taken. But it didn't matter. Isolina needed her, so she would go.

But shit, Isolina, what the hell were you thinking? Asami thought, almost running to her car.

She didn't hear, behind her, the stunned collaborator who asked Lu:

"She has a daughter?"

"It's... complicated... I'll let you join the meeting room and finish. Don't worry about Miss Sato and finish all of that!"

The man returned to the meeting room and closed the door. Lu sighed: he couldn't help but worry about his boss and especially about Isolina. He only hoped that whatever the problem in Asami's life was, it would be settled. Even if she was a little better, he didn't like to see her like that.

He stood by his phone, hoping he would get some news soon.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! How about leaving a review/comment? I'm sure you have a lot to say xD I do too.**

 **First, sorry for the cliffhanger, I just wanted it that way, and the chapters would be too long if I didn't cut them.**

 **Then, a few things you need to know:**

 **\- I rewrote part of this chapter (end and beginning), so I hope it doesn't feel off. It shouldn't (believe me, the other version was weak).**

 **\- I'm currently rewriting for the second time the next chapter, because I seriously messed up on all the important parts. The reason is simple: I'm going to be really busy really soon, I wanted to finish this story quickly. I didn't realize I didn't respect either the story or the characters correctly, so it doesn't feel good and I have to rewrite lots of parts. That's not really a problem, I'm going to fix it, even if it's hard. But I hope it won't feel weird to all of you. (It still shouldn't.)**

 **\- Then, I am sorry, but I certainly won't be able to post as soon/regularly from now on. There are different reasons: I have to rewrite half of chapter 23 and translate it, chapter 24 and 25 (which should be the last ones) are 10,000 words each and not even done yet (they have some holes and are like giant puzzles… Gotta figure out how to make them flow naturally). I don't know if I can keep them that way yet, or if I'll separate them (because it's difficult to correct when it's long), so I wanted to know what you would like: longer chapters (which means longer time to update), or shorter chapters? I'll certainly keep them long, but I just wanted to tell you.**

 **Um… So, see you soon! Or less soon. I'll do my best to finish this story correctly!**

 **Wish you all all the best! By the way, don't hate Asami too much x) She's not that mean or detestable x)**

 **Until another chapter,**

 **Lion**

* * *

 **Answers reviews :**

 **GuestMcCarry** **: Hi!**

 **I'm really happy you liked the last chapter! I hope you'll keep liking this story until the end!**

 **I'm sorry I didn't use your idea :( Unfortunately, the chapter was already written and the ellipse didn't allow further explanations about Isolina's abilities. But thank you for the idea!**

 **Thank you very much for your review, and I hope you'll keep leaving some (even to other authors ;)). See you!**

 **firekovu** **: Hi!**

 **Your comment is very interesting. I didn't think that anyone would think that their roles would be reversed. Um… If you want the whole story, it was supposed to be that way. And then, I thought it didn't make sense with the Asami I built and with the week Korra had spent with Isolina. When I wrote, it just came out that way, I thought it was good to keep it and it fitted their personalities.**

 **As for Isolina, I totally agree with you (which is why I have such a hard time writing her currently xDD): there are lots of problems, but Asami ignored them, while Korra didn't. They didn't focus on the same things, that's why they have such different points of view.**

 **I hope you weren't disappointed with how things turned out xDD Actually, thanks to your comment (and another one, if I remember well), I added a part that wasn't in the original version (the part about what happened the week before, at the beginning), because I felt it lacked.**

 **Last thing: theory about the Platinium bender? Is there any theory to have? x)**

 **I hope you'll find this chapter great too! See you soon!**

 **As ever, thank you so much for your long and very interesting reviews! :D**


	23. Family

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **I tried not to be away too long. Because of the cliffhanger. I guess the updates will be way slower after this chapter. I don't think I'll be able to post once a month, so let's consider this as a half goodbye gift. (It's not a goodbye, but you see what I mean.)**

 **And it's a pretty good gift, given how big it is! I do hope it is good though. I wrote it three times for it to be correct, especially with the feelings of the characters (there are a lot of those).**

 **Now, enjoy!**

* * *

After an eventful drive as she was so used to doing these days, Asami arrived at the home of the so-called new parents of Isolina, whom she already hated.

On the scene, there was a man and a woman who were talking to a police officer who was recording their testimony on his notebook. There was a light roadblock, and the police were interrogating the neighborhood or looking for evidence.

Asami didn't bother one bit and entered the security perimeter, meaning to reach the two individuals and tell them what she thought. She didn't manage to get there as the policeman, who noticed her out of the corner of his eye, tried to stop her advance and asked her to leave because she had "nothing to do there".

"Are you kidding me?" she asked.

He stared at her with a cold look, without any consideration. Apparently, he had been told not to let her intervene. She could see Lin's influence on this...

She glanced over the officer's shoulder, noticing the man and the woman.

The man, a tall thin branch, whose black eyes were encrusted in a milky balloon from which tufts of dull, curly hair emerged, seemed to fidget and look in all directions as if he were suffering from nervous hyperactivity. He bit his nails at times, before lowering his hand, seeming calmer, and being stricken again by a flash of worry.

As for the woman, she was a little more assured, calmer, more aggressive too. She stared at Asami, as if she were a stranger, a clandestine, with her dark blue eyes. Her muscles seemed loosened, and her whole body was standing, as if grown by a surge of remarkable and arrogant pride.

She met the businesswoman's gaze, almost defying her, almost looking her up and down. But she was respectful, so she just showed her strength. But Asami was strong too. She may have been overwhelmed, worried, and perhaps lost a lot lately; but she resisted more solid than an immense oak with powerful roots dug deep into the ground. Her roots, those that no one could take away from her, were the immutable wish she had: that all the people who were dear to her were fine. And Isolina had to be fine. She had to be fine with them, so why was she not there, huh?

Seeing the determined and insolent attitude of the young green-eyed woman, the woman allowed herself to approach her to replace the policeman:

"Miss Sato, I'm sorry, but you're not allowed to enter our property like that..."

"That's really all you can think of?" she fulminated. "Your property?"

"It doesn't concern you. Or not anymore."

"It does concern me! I know her better than anyone, I'll find her."

"I think you've done enough already," she retorted bitterly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the green-eyed woman raised, not really accepting that someone allowed themselves to judge her.

"It means that you should leave this little girl alone! After everything you've done to her!..."

"After everything that _I_ 've done to her? You've got to be kidding me! She _disappeared_ while she was with _you_! After two days!"

"Whose fault is it in your opinion?"

"Certainly not mine! Since I'm not responsible for her anymore!"

"Exactly! The best you can do is to disappear from her life so that she can finally move on! You were the one who made her think that she had nothing to do with us!"

"Honey..." the man tried to intervene, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Oh no, she'll hear what I have to say: do you have any idea how she was? Maybe she's been with us physically these last two days, but she's been depressed all this time. She just rejected us. And you know what she says when you ask why?—When she even wants to answer us!—She answers that it's useless anyway, because she's alone and she'll always be alone!"

Asami couldn't say anything about that. She winced. She had assumed these were the feelings Isolina certainly had, but them being bluntly exposed to her like that... it had another flavor, much more bitter, much more horrible, much guiltier. It questioned everything she had thought until then.

"I... She'll get over it," she replied. "She always has a little trouble with change... You just have to give her some time..."

"Oh yeah, I think everyone can observe the effects of 'giving her time'..."

"You'd just had to watch her!"

"And _you_ just had not to make her believe that she could stay with you if you had decided not to keep her!

"I didn't have a choice! If you think I've gladly done this, it means you're... "

She couldn't finish her sentence. Korra landed near her with her kite and cut her off:

"Asami, stop that! I'm really, really sorry for my wife's behavior," she apologized to the couple. "She's a bit out of sorts these times, I hope you can forgive her."

"Korra!..."

The Avatar took her arm a little more firmly than usual and dragged her away.

"Asami, calm down," she ordered. "You don't realize what you're doing!"

"But these people!..."

"It's not their fault!"

"Of course it is!"

"It's not. If anything, it's ours. You know very well why she ran away."

"No one said she ran away... She could very well be in danger!"

"Asami, please..."

The green-eyed woman then let herself fall against the hood of her satomobile. She sighed, emptying instantly of all the energy that her rage had given her. She had had no strength left since Isolina was gone. And knowing her alone, lost, she didn't know where, it made her feverish, empty, unstable. She was a sand castle beset by a storm, all its grains flying away.

So, she let her head rest on the Avatar's shoulder.

"You're right... I'm sorry... But I... I don't know what to do anymore..."

She had thought that if Isolina was separated from them, she would get used to it, forget, that she would be fine, that she would be happy. She would never have imagined that she would have gone so far as to flee. She had never wanted to do that with her! If she had reached that point, it meant that it didn't work... And if it didn't work, it meant that it would have to change. But what could she do from now on?

"Let's bring her back," Korra said.

"Here?" she laughed, not liking the option.

The blue-eyed woman shook her head.

"No. With us. Let's find her and bring her back home."

Asami looked up, frowning at her wife's serious and self-confident face.

"Korra, it's…"

Impossible. It was totally impossible. They couldn't do that. It would be considered an abduction.

"Asami, we can't let them find her. She's supposed to be with us. None of this would have happened. I know you wanted to protect her, but you tried to protect her body when her heart needed protection. She needs us. She needs you. She can only rely on us now. She doesn't trust anyone else..."

The green-eyed woman sighed heavily as she dropped her head against the Avatar's shoulder. So, basically, what she was saying was that she should have listened to her from the beginning...

"I know..." she told her. "I thought it was going to work anyway... she and us, separated."

"But it doesn't work. It'll never work."

"I know. I know, I was wrong. I'm sorry, Korra... You were right, I let fear guide me..."

"Shhh," she calmed her. "It doesn't matter, Asami. We'll find her and we'll figure something out. We always do."

Figure something out... Between the adoptive parents and Hieu, they'd better figure out something pretty good... But she didn't want to doubt the possibility of putting things right. No, this time she was going to fix her mistake. For Isolina. They were going to find her and bring her home, where she was supposed to be, with the people she wanted to be with. But how?

Asami stayed a few seconds against Korra, trying to think of how to do it all. Where could she be?

"Come on, come here, I'll find her," her wife finally told her, taking her hand.

Asami didn't ask anything, she just followed her. They then started to go away, in order to look for the child on their own (the police forces being a little hostile), when Lin showed up, irritated, and blocked their passage:

"Asami Sato! But damn it, what are you doing here? You promised me not to interfere in my business and no longer have any connection with this kid!"

"I happened to be called, so I came, and now I guess these promises can't be kept anymore."

"If I catch the jerk who called you... That's exactly why I didn't want you to come."

"We have to go."

She squeezed Korra's hand to tell her that they had nothing to do here anymore.

"Where do you think you're going like this?" the chief of police shouted, pursuing them.

"Finding Isolina."

"Asami..."

Lin was going to protest, to tell her that she was unreasonable, that she didn't have the right to meddle in this business, that she had to let the police work, but she turned around for a look. And this simple look dissuaded her from saying more.

She knew exactly what it meant. It meant that she was going to have a lot of problems in the next few days, even in the next few months, but that she couldn't do anything about it, because Asami Sato had decided to do as she pleased. Follow her heart... Oh Lin hated her so much in those moments! And somewhat, she admired her a little bit too.

She sighed.

"Fine... Let me come with you at least. Any idea of where she can be?"

"So many places come to mind," Asami said, thinking. "But does she know where to go in the city?"

"I think so," the Avatar said. "We went out a lot while you weren't here. But we don't need to visit all these places. The vines can spot her. We just need to get closer to downtown."

And that was what they did. Asami was stamping with impatience as she was watching Korra connect to Republic City's plant-network. She felt like it had been days since Isolina had disappeared, when it wasn't even a few hours. However, she still hadn't seen her for almost two weeks...

When Korra finally raised her head, she winced a little, saying to Asami:

"You're not going to like that..."

"What? Is she hurt? She's not well? Something happened to her?"

"No, I don't think so…"

"So what?"

—

"I love when you give her such ideas," the businesswoman grumbled, looking up.

"She went up there precisely because you forbade her to do it, so don't blame me."

Asami, Korra, Lin and the "parents" who had mysteriously been informed, were looking at the top of a huge tree in the middle of a park.

"Okay, I'll get her," Lin said, taking out her cables.

"No!" Asami defended. "I'll go."

"No way, Asami."

"She's right, my love," the Avatar said. "Let me go. If you fall..."

"You'll catch me," the businesswoman said. "Korra, you know I have to go. You're as close to her as I am, okay. But she wants me to go. She won't let herself be taken down without my intervention. We need to talk."

"You can talk to her from down here," Lin growled.

"I appreciate your concern, but I will go no matter what. And I'll bring her back safe and sound. At all costs."

The three women looked at Isolina again. She was watching them too. Asami was too far to see the expression on her face but she saw her look away when she noticed that she was looking at her. Asami smiled a little: she was angry, that was for sure. But she was waiting for her, she was sure of it; they had to talk. If she stayed here doing nothing and let anyone else go, she would never be able to fix things. No, it was a confidence test, and she had to succeed.

"Okay, go ahead," Korra said. "But I'll be below, to catch you if you fall."

Lin wasn't pleased with this decision, but she didn't say anything. The three women approached the tree, and the chief of police ordered her agents, who were on the way, not to intervene: no one approached the tree and they were taking care of the situation.

Korra and Asami shared a last look, then the Avatar gave the businesswoman a leg up. The latter began to cling to the branches to climb.

Climbing trees... She hadn't done that since... since she was a child? Had she done that when she was a child? She didn't really remember it. What wouldn't she do for this kid, seriously... As if she would succeed in dissuading her not to get to her. But... that tree was still tall, it was even gigantic. She wondered if the end would be soon, she couldn't see anything, stuck to the trunk, like that.

Asami shifted a little and looked up: not even half of it... She went up a little, and she began to see Isolina who deliberately ignored her, looking away.

"Isolina? Do you hear me?" she asked her.

No answer... The dialogue was going to be fruitful...

Rather than taking offence, Asami climbed a few more branches until she saw the child. If she weren't so worried (she still could fall!) and completely focused (not to fall herself), she would have been moved. She thought she'd never get to see her again… Not so closely. Well, there were still a few meters between them, but it was so little.

"Hey!" she called out to her.

The little girl kept looking at the horizon.

Ah. So she was deliberately ignoring her. She had already suspected it, but she had hoped to be wrong...

"So, you don't want to talk to me?" she asked, climbing higher and higher.

"Go away!" Isolina shouted, without looking at her.

"I can't, Isolina... We have to talk."

"I have nothing to say…"

"Well, don't you want to come down with me then? It's dangerous if you stay here."

"I don't want to. Leave me alone!"

She threw her water that came from she-didn't-know-where. Asami protected herself, but the water dissipated before reaching her. Isolina didn't really want her to leave, she just wanted to scare her. Or something like that... The green-eyed woman still had a bit of trouble following her thought pattern, but she knew this: she was angry and hurt, so she had better act with tact.

"Please, Isolina... I want to talk to you," Asami said as she climbed onto a new branch.

"Don't come closer!" Isolina shouted, turning to her and threatening her with a fist covered with water. "I told you to leave me alone!"

Asami stabilized on the branch and raised her hands, as if threatened with a firearm and asked not to be shot at.

"Okay, okay, I'm not coming closer," she said. "Does it bother you if I stay here?"

She began to sit on the branch, leaning against the tree trunk. Isolina didn't answer, and continued to pout, looking away. The young woman with green eyes craned her neck a little, to see the child's face, full of anger, resentment, pain, sadness too...

"You cried?" she asked, saddened, seeing her swollen eyes and the trail of dry tears.

The girl still didn't answer her.

"Okay..." Asami said, a little disappointed and sad— but not surprised—to see her behave that way with her. "Are we going to stay here long?"

"You just have to leave already."

"You really don't want to talk to me at all? You have nothing to tell me? We haven't seen each other for a long time though."

"I don't speak with mean people. You too, you're mean..."

"Ah... I guess so..."

It hurt a little... But she willingly believed that she deserved it. She had to change her mind though.

However, she waited. She looked at the sky, then she looked at the police, Korra and Lin, and the "parents" who were waiting on the ground. It was high... All in all, she preferred not to look down too much. So she began to look at the horizon like the little girl and wait.

The latter, as the minutes stretched, became more irritated and curious. She glanced at the raven-haired woman.

"Why are you still here?" she said, sulking.

"I told you: I won't go down without you."

"Why did you come? You don't care about me, so why don't you leave me alone?"

"Isolina, listen to me," Asami said firmly, in a way that made her turn to her. "I know I hurt you. I'm sorry. But I love you, I really do."

"You're always saying that, but it's not true."

"It is. It's completely true."

"No it's not!" the child exploded, hitting the branch that hosted her and which she was straddling. "They say they want to love me too, but it's not true! Nobody can love me!"

"Isolina..."

It hurt to see her like that, to hear her say those horrible words. And what was even worse was to observe that she really believed them by her fault. She had forgotten, for a moment, that Isolina was only a child, a wounded child, who was counting on her. She hoped she hadn't given her the final blow... She had to love and accept the love of others again. She needed to feel protected and loved. Asami made it her main goal.

The young CEO started climbing again. She wanted to be able to touch her, to take her in her arms, to show her that she wasn't lying.

"I told you not to come!" Isolina repeated to her, armed with a fist of water with which she threatened the young woman.

Asami didn't falter. She challenged her, maintaining her confident emerald gaze planted in her stormy ocean.

"Isolina, I'm coming," she said, without doubt, nor fear. "I'm not afraid of you. I love you. You love me too, right?"

"No! I hate you!"

Could she really attack her? She had a slight doubt. But it didn't matter, she was going up. If she had to be hurt or maybe even lose her life... it didn't really matter. Korra would be there for her, but she had to want to come back and live with them on terra firma.

—

Lin watched the scene that was taking place higher, nervous. She felt that Asami was trying to talk to Isolina, but it didn't seem to be working extremely well... She shuddered every time Isolina moved.

She had already sent water to her and seemed to threaten her. They were face to face, she had the impression that they were going to fight each other. She glanced at Korra. She looked calm. How could she be calm?

"I'm going to send someone," she said, seeing the police cars that had joined them.

"What?" Korra was surprised. "No of course not!"

"Korra, she's going to attack her, look!"

"She'll manage it."

They resumed watching. Asami climbed a branch, her look never breaking away from the little girl's blue eyes. The latter didn't move. Then, finally, she lowered her fist. But it was only to jump on another branch. She fled, a little too dangerously, a little too hastily. Then she turned and cut a branch with water turned into ice.

It wouldn't work...

"Here Chief Beifong," she said to her walkie-talkie. "Have someone go get this girl up the tree, by force if necessary!"

"Lin!" Korra shouted.

"They'll end up getting hurt! I don't intend to risk Asami's life or even Isolina's!"

Immediately, a policeman in uniform climbed up the tree with his cables. He landed next to Isolina. The latter, seeing him, got frightened and hit him with a jet of water in the chest. He tried to cling to the branches, anticipating the shock, but they gave way under the force of the impact and he fell into the void.

Korra hurried to send a cushion of air to rescue him. She was expecting it, actually...

"Don't do that again," the Avatar demanded. "Isolina won't accept that someone she doesn't know approaches her. Asami will succeed, she knows her better than anyone."

The police chief grunted. Well, sure, her plan had not worked, but...

"She doesn't even want to talk to her. She's running away!"

"Give her some time. She needs time..."

They resumed watching the top of the tree.

—

"Isolina!" Asami scolded her, as soon as she saw the policeman get thrown.

She followed him with her gaze and saw Korra soften his fall. She heaved a sigh of relief. At least he wasn't hurt or worse.

"I'm sorry..." the child said, feeling a little guilty and shameful.

She became very small, her anger had fainted for the moment, she just didn't want Asami to scold her...

"Well, the most important thing is that everything is fine," the green-eyed woman let out with her breath.

"I don't want them to come," Isolina said.

"They just want to take you back down."

"But I don't want to!"

"Isolina, you can't stay here forever. You're a smart girl, I'm sure you understand. We can stay here and discuss as much as you want, but you'll have to come back with me, otherwise they'll keep coming and I'm afraid someone gets hurt."

And she started acting mute again. Awesome…

Asami got a little closer to Isolina again. There was only one branch separating them...

"Isolina," she called softly. "Do you think you could forgive me?"

The little girl stared at her, frowning.

"I know how you feel... I'm sorry. I would like you to forgive me."

"You can't know…"

"I do. I know exactly how it feels."

"No, that's not true! _You_ have Korra and I'm alone!"

"You're not alone, Isolina. Korra and I will always be here for you."

"No, no, no! You abandoned me! I didn't want to go with them! I didn't want to!"

"I know. I know, it's my fault. I'm sorry, it's all my fault... Korra didn't want you to leave. I didn't give her a choice..."

"You are mean…"

"Maybe, I am... Do you think I could be nice again? If you forgive me..."

"No."

Well... Obviously, she was angry with her. From what she understood, she hated her, would never trust her again, and couldn't stand her. Handicapped by all these problems, she struggled to handle the conversation.

She wanted to bring Isolina down and bring her home, but as long as she didn't believe a word of what she was saying, she couldn't do anything. She had to feel good, to agree. And she was seriously starting to run out of ideas!

Yet, she just had to get a little bit closer to her... After, she would hold her in her arms and everything would be fine. Unless she struggled. It could be problematic. It was heads or tails.

She decided to lull her anger to sleep. Maybe if she showed her that she understood and that she really wanted to redeem herself, she would be willing to believe her. And although it hurt to think about it, she had the perfect story...

"You know, I was like you," she began. "My mom died when I was little. Then, after I had only my father. I loved him a lot. I grew up and met Korra. My father hated benders, even though I didn't know it.

"One day, he almost did a great harm to Korra and my friends, and asked me to help him do that. I had to choose between him and them. I didn't understand why he was so mean, why he betrayed the love I had for him, so I chose to help my friends to defeat him.

"We fought, he tried to kill me. The person I loved most in the world betrayed me in the most horrible way. He went to prison, and I didn't want to have any contact with him, I ignored him again and again while he was asking for forgiveness. And when I finally was ready to reconnect with him, to forgive him, for us to be a family again, he was killed to protect me..."

"It's sad," Isolina said, staring at the branch she was on.

"Yes, it's sad... I want it to be different for you and me, Isolina," she said putting herself on the branch right next to the little girl's one. "Can you forgive me? Before it's too late?"

"For what? It won't change anything..."

She was next to her, she could finally touch her. Once she had her in her arms, she could get her down. She only had to reach out...

But at that moment, Isolina turned to her. As soon as she noticed Asami so close to her, trying to reach her, she imagined that she was trying to trap her. Then, without thinking, she looked away, closing her eyes, and pushed the young woman away from her.

Just as surprised, the green-eyed woman lost her balance. She tried to regain it, fidgeted, but her foot, too close to the edge, slipped off the branch. She was falling.

"Asami!" Isolina shouted.

—

Everyone was holding their breath.

"For Spirit's sake!" Lin said, seeing her fears confirmed.

As she took out her cables and told herself that she was going to go up and catch Asami, the young CEO grabbed a branch, barely supporting herself with both her arms.

The pressure went down a little bit. The spectators feared that she would let go, that she would fall.

"That's enough, I'm intervening!" she said, taking a step forward toward the tree.

Korra took her by the arm to stop her.

"No wait."

"This little girl is going to kill her!"

"She doesn't want her any harm. She won't hurt her. Give her a little more time."

They watched as Asami tried to get back on the branch, starting to climb the tree again. She hadn't given up.

"Korra, if her head hits a branch..." Lin warned.

"I know, I know, but... I trust her."

The Avatar kept her gaze fixed on the scene that was taking place above, serious. She looked a little more worried than before, but she held steady. Lin groaned but didn't move, although all her muscles were contracted, ready for immediate action.

—

Asami had managed to catch a branch with her arms, just a few meters below. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest, victim of a too sudden fear. She sighed. That was close. She just had to go back now…

The young woman looked up and saw Isolina's worried blue eyes on her. She smiled a little in spite of herself: it seemed she still cared about her.

"It's okay, I'm fine. I'm fine," she reassured her.

She tried to go up by the strength of her arms, which turned out to be a little complicated, although she was rather athletic. Still watched by the blue eyes, she went up on the branch. She sighed slightly. She just had to go back... Why was this tree so high again?

"Well, you do _not_ move," the young CEO ordered. "I'm coming."

"But, Asami..." the little girl tried to contradict, worried.

"Don't worry, okay? I climbed once, I can climb a second time, don't you think?"

Isolina merely wrinkled her nose and pinched her lips. Asami ignored her and began to climb back up, cautiously. She might well say, she was still a little more tired than the first time...

But by dint of determination and perseverance, she managed to join the little girl.

"Well, what were we saying?" Asami asked, as if nothing had happened. "Ah right. Do you forgive me? As I forgave my father?"

"I don't get you," Isolina said.

"What do you not understand?"

"Why do you want me to forgive you? You don't care... You just want me to go down there with them."

"No, that's not what I want."

Isolina glared at her.

"I want you to go down, that's right," Asami agreed. "I'm scared for you. If you fall, you could hurt yourself, or worse... But I don't want you to go back with them. I want you to do what you want. And you told me you didn't want to go back with them, didn't you?"

The little girl, although still very suspicious, looked at her with a little more interest and sweetness. Maybe she was more open... She was getting close to the goal, she knew it.

"What do you want, Isolina?" she asked her, seriously, trying to pull out the answer with her piercing green eyes.

The little girl was first caught by this look, a little hypnotized, totally numb because of this question. What she wanted? She could say it and it would be done? How to know? No, people didn't care about what she wanted... She had already asked Asami to stay with her, but she didn't want to... It wasn't what she wanted. She was still misleading her.

So she looked away, clutching the branch of tree between her fingers as she mumbled bitterly:

"You already know what I want..."

"Okay... It's ok, then."

"What?"

Isolina turned to Asami, frowning. It didn't make sense!

"Isolina..." the green-eyed woman said softly. "I already told you, I'm sorry... I want you to forgive me and come back with me. Do you really think I would have come if I didn't care?"

"But you wanted me to leave..."

"It's true. But I don't want you to leave anymore."

"Why? Why!"

Asami sighed... Long story... But maybe she could tell her now. Tell her the whole truth. Even if she didn't understand everything, it didn't matter. She just wanted her to understand how much she cared for her. She wanted her to understand that it was true, that she could trust her.

"You know... at the very beginning, when you arrived," she began, leaning back against the trunk of the tree and looking at the horizon, "when I met you, I promised myself that I wouldn't get attached to you. Because you weren't supposed to stay.

"But time passed, you were still there, and I started to really love you a lot. And I was sad because I thought you were going to find your real parents one day and that you would leave me all alone. That was what was supposed to happen, I believed it.

"Then you told me what happened to you, and I hoped very much that you would stay with me. But... they attacked, they almost took you again... I... I was scared, Isolina..." she confessed, her voice starting to shake and hiccupping. "I was so scared to lose you and Korra.

"I've already lost people I cared about, I don't want to live that again. I thought that if I let you go, where you would be safe, I wouldn't really lose you, because you would surely be happier then, you would be alive and at least less threatened... But... when I made that decision, I lost you anyway, and it's just as bad. Korra left too... Somehow the result was worse than if I hadn't done anything."

Silent tears ran down her cheeks, as if going on a delicate journey to reach another place that would relieve the inner pain she felt.

Isolina had listened to her in silence. She had observed this change of emotions. She had never seen Asami crying. Even when she was in pain, she wouldn't cry... She was certainly very sad... Maybe she wasn't lying after all... She wanted the same thing as her? Why couldn't she have it then?

"You wanted to be my mum?" Isolina asked, to confirm that she had understood correctly.

"Yes, I really wanted to be your mother," she said, her heart released from this immense weight as the words came out of her mouth. "Even more than Korra."

"Really?"

"Really."

They remained that way, in a comfortable silence. Isolina stared at Asami, who was staring at the sky calmly. She had dried her tears and waited patiently. What now?

Isolina was troubled. She saw the sincerity painted on the ivory-skinned face, she saw it through her fragile words, her tears, her sweet expression... Yet she had also seen this same sincerity before and it hadn't stopped her from abandoning her. She was afraid to trust her.

"Do you still want to be my mum?" Isolina asked.

"Yes…"

"But you abandoned me..."

"Because I was scared. Being with us... it's dangerous for you, it's complicated, I didn't want you to suffer..."

"I don't care about that!"

Asami laughed slightly at the child's temper.

"I know you don't care, sweetie."

A new silence was made. Asami waited patiently, as she always did with Isolina. The little girl stared at her, trying to find an answer. For what question? She had so many of them... She didn't know what she could believe, hope, have.

"Are you still afraid?" she asked, sadly.

"Yes," the young woman sincerely answered.

Isolina frowned. That wasn't the answer she wanted... If she was still scared, it meant she was going to leave her again!

Asami turned to her and answered her, her heart open and transparent:

"I'm scared for you. I want you to never be captured by Hieu again. Never, you hear me? I don't want you to suffer. But you suffer when you're not with Korra and I, right?"

"I have no one," Isolina replied. "My parents are gone... I thought you could be my mums..."

"Isolina, I need to know: are you really sure that you don't want to stay with the man and the woman you live with? I was told that they were nice people... I don't want you to regret later..."

"Why would I regret? I wanted to stay with you!"

" I know, I know," the young CEO tried to appease. "But there are things that Korra and I can't necessarily ensure..."

"Like what?"

"Well, for example, sometimes Korra and I have big responsibilities and we have to go far for a long time. When it happens, like when I left, you can't come with us, do you understand? You will have to stay here, all alone."

"Okay…"

"The life you had with us can't be the same as the one you had until now, either..."

"Why?"

"You'll have to go to school, spend time with other people. Whether you're with them or with us, you don't have much of a choice... The problem is that sometimes people are mean because you have two mums, and not when you have a dad and a mom."

"Why?"

"Ah, that's complicated... And then, there are others who could annoy you because you are our daughter..."

"Why?"

"Because they don't like us, for example."

She frowned. Why would people not like Korra and Asami? They were super nice! Most of the time…

"And then, especially..." the CEO said. "With Hieu... you'll never be alone. It'll be necessary to have people to protect you all the time. Until we catch them."

The little girl winced.

"Isolina, I know you want to come back. I want you to come back. I love you with all my heart, and that's the truth. But there is another truth, and you have to accept it: it's going to be very hard. Because of what I did, now I have no right to be your mum..."

"What? What do you mean? But I want you to be my mum! You just said!..."

"Hold on, calm down. Let me finish."

The little girl pouted, but listened.

"You can't understand, but concerning the law... I'm nothing for you. Now it's the woman down there who is your mum. And her husband, he's your dad."

"I told you I didn't want to!"

"I know. We'll figure something out, okay?"

"If I go down again, now... will I stay with you?"

"I'll do everything for it."

"You promise? You won't abandon me anymore?"

"Y-Yes... I... promise."

She had hesitated a little to say that, but she remembered the reality: it wasn't that easy. If she promised all this to Isolina, there was still a chance she wouldn't be able keep her promise.

But could she really do otherwise? No. However, she wouldn't betray her promise. If it were to reach the extremes to keep it, she would do it.

"Never again?"

"Never again, Isolina. We'll always be together. I'll always love you and I'll be your mother."

She noticed the child's eyes change completely, melting into a mixture of renewed trust, true hope and joy.

Then, without even thinking of the danger of missing the branch and falling, Isolina threw herself into her arms. Asami didn't have time to be surprised. She received her and hugged her forming a ball around her to protect her if they ever fell.

But they didn't. Isolina wrapped her arms around her and snuggled against her, happy to be able to take refuge in the raven-haired woman's arms again.

"I missed you..." Isolina whimpered.

Asami, who believed that she would never hold her in her arms again just a few hours ago, felt a bubble of emotions explode inside of her. A combination of relief, happiness, joy, immense joy, and the withdrawal of all that bitterness and greyish madness that had taken hold of her mood lately.

She had life in her arms. The life of a child, but also her life that she couldn't imagine without her inexhaustible brilliance. And it didn't matter if shadows threatened her. She would protect her, and this time she wouldn't give in anymore. She would do everything so that they would never be separated again.

Then, even more aware of this doubly more powerful reality now that she almost lost her, she squeezed Isolina against her as she began to sob.

Isolina, who felt the slight bursts of her body and her little jerky breaths, withdrew herself a little to look at the young woman's face.

"Are you crying too?" she asked her.

"I missed you too... I missed you so much."

She kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

"I love you, Isolina. No matter what happens next, never forget that I love you. I will always do my best to protect you."

"Even abandoning me?"

"No, not abandoning you. Maybe we'll put you in a safe place far away, but it'll probably be for emergencies, okay? You'll stay with us. You are our daughter…"

Isolina gave her a new hug.

—

Seeing that Isolina had stopped being stubborn and was now in the young businesswoman's arms, Korra and Lin sighed slightly. Well, and that was it. They just had to have them down... Well, concerning the chief of police, because the Avatar only wanted one thing: to join her wife and the girl.

"I'm going!" Korra said, straddling her kite.

"Eh... Yes, you do that…" Lin sighed when she was already gone.

Well, it wasn't her business. She went to disperse her troops: the show was over!

She glanced at the couple who was watching what was happening. Well, this had to be taken care of… She didn't know why but she felt like Asami and Isolina wouldn't let go of each other from now on. She sighed. Let's hope that everything would be fine now…

Korra quickly arrived at the top of the tree.

"So how are you, little puppy?" she said to Isolina.

"Korra!" the latter exclaimed, glad to see her again.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too!"

"Korra, should you take her down, please?" Asami suggested.

"Are you not coming with me?" Isolina asked, worried.

"Korra is going to have a hard time flying with both of us. So, I'll be down right after you."

"Promised?"

"Promised."

Then Isolina let her go and Korra took her in her arms to bring her back onto terra ferma. She seized the opportunity to make an exaggerated kiss on her cheek, which made the young child laugh and both women smile. Asami stayed up there, looking at Republic City and its surroundings. And to say that somewhere, Hieu and his troops were hiding and could ruin everything they had built... But she would flush them out, and Isolina would stay with her. It was no longer about security or being afraid: she was going to fight, because she had to.

Korra came back just a minute later. She took her by the waist, sticking her body to hers.

"You cried?" she asked her, affectionately running her thumbs on her pale cheeks.

"Is it that obvious?" Asami asked, smiling.

"No, not so much. I know you, that's all."

"We'll take her home now. I won't let her go again."

"Is that so? Happy then?" she asked her.

"And you?"

"Very much so."

"Are you going to get back home now?"

"I wonder…" Korra pretended to hesitate.

"Idiot," Asami said, flicking her nose.

The blue-eyed woman chuckled before kissing her wife.

"Where do you want me to go? The two people I love the most in the world are at home," she said.

"And it will stay that way from now on. I won't make this mistake twice, Korra. I promise you."

"Good."

Korra and Asami landed. Isolina was waiting for them impatiently. She was under the shadow of the huge tree, and her "parents" were talking to her, the woman was knelt in front of her. However, she felt more persecuted than anything else. She never wanted to see them again! She wanted to act as if she had never left the mansion.

When she saw the two women landing, she instantly ran toward them, taking refuge behind Asami's legs. The latter ran a hand through her hair, and gave her a tender and reassuring look.

The man and the woman approached. The woman, always assertive and solid, walked before the man and he looked a little smaller behind.

"So what now?" the woman asked.

"Isolina wants to stay with us," the CEO said.

"Well, I think I could figure that out on my own... But it doesn't work like that."

"I know. Listen, I'm sorry for what I told you earlier. I was upset, and I didn't have the right to judge your ability to be her parents when I was the one who caused this… uncomfortable situation for everyone. But I think it's still better for Isolina to go back to living with us. That's what she wants. If she returns with you, I'm afraid she might continue to put herself in danger."

"So, basically, you've changed your mind and want to take her back when we have her custody?"

"Yes."

"And you want me to believe that she wants to live with you again after everything you did to her?"

"Yes!" Isolina intervened, at once moved by a heroic will. "Asami is my mum!"

"Isolina!" the young woman corrected. "It's not nice to say that..."

"But you said you'll be my mum..."

"Yes, that's right, but for now, she's your mum."

"But I don't want that! I want it to be you!"

"I know, I know, Isolina. Calm down. Do you remember? I promised you I'll do everything to make it change."

"Ok..." she grumbled.

To their surprise, the woman laughed. Everyone turned to her, and she finally stopped, naturally continuing the conversation.

"Well, you know what? I leave her to you, but in exchange you'll have to do something for me."

Blackmail? Asami was slightly surprised and amazed at this sudden change of position. Of course, she was going to ask her something complicated... Money? Power? Equipment? Technology? A favor?

But she didn't lose countenance. It was her chance to make up for her mistake and make Isolina happy.

"Anything," she replied.

"Promise me... that you will not abandon her this time. Never again."

"Of course."

"Good! That's perfect. When do you want to come and get her things?"

"Wait... That's all?"

"Yes, why?"

"You mean you're going to give up your parental rights just like that? And we will never hear of you again?"

"Exactly, that's right."

Korra and Asami looked at each other, frowning. There was something fishy going on...

The woman sighed a little, then took out a badge.

"Lieutenant Chrystal. I'm in charge of Isolina's case. Let's say that Beifong suspected there were going to be problems, and we thought maybe it was better to have close protection, so I asked for her custody. Don't get me wrong, if she had wanted to stay with us, I'd have kept her, but..."

She pointed at the man.

"... I think my husband isn't really ready to have a child anyway."

"But everything was so sudden!" he defended.

Asami laughed. Yes, for them too it had been sudden... She couldn't really say if they had been ready from the beginning, whether they had hosted Isolina in the perspective of keeping her, or if everything had evolved slowly to reach that moment. It was surely a mix of everything, an intervention of fate, a good timing, and the satisfaction of a repressed desire. In any case, she was glad everything had gone that way, with the good and the bad parts, because the footsteps they had left on this path wouldn't be erased anytime soon.

"Well, anyway," the police officer said, "when are you going to pick up her things?"

They agreed that one of them would come by the very evening, since Chrystal still had work until late. She surely had to help remobilize the troops, handle all this mess, certainly update the file... She also promised Asami to do everything possible to stop Hieu as soon as possible.

Then they parted.

It was as easy as that... Well, legally maybe not, but... for now, Isolina was with them, and she would stay with them. What was there to hope for better?

Asami exhaled, relieved. Korra glanced at her, smiling and excited. Her wife looked at her too, with the same warmth, this same joy, this same intensity found again. Yes, like that, it was good.

"Well, apparently, it wasn't that complicated!" Korra was enthusiastic. "See, little puppy, you'll be able to stay with us now..."

Isolina smiled as the Avatar slightly ruffled her hair.

"Well, shall we go?" Asami suggested.

"At home?"

"Yes."

"Like a family?"

"Yes, like a family. Our family, all three of us."

Isolina smiled then, even more brilliantly than before. The two women couldn't help smiling too, and then they went for the car.

But before they could reach it, Lin intercepted them:

"Wait a second, all three of you! Do you really think you can leave like this?"

"At least, we tried," Korra said jokingly.

"Yeah right! And what do I do now?"

"How would we know? We're not the police chief..."

"You are bad mothers. What a mess, all because of you…"

"Thank you, Lin," Asami said, truly and intensely grateful for all she had done.

"Right, right..." she grumbled. "You make sure it doesn't happen again! Got it?"

"Of course."

"Good then. Make this girl happy. We take care of the criminals."

"And we'll be here to help you."

"I think you're going to have to take care of officially getting her custody first..."

"We'll manage it."

"I have no doubt about it. Well, go home and rest for the moment. Police officers are at your home and the troops are ready, if anything happens... The White Lotus is also there."

"Thank you."

Lin left, the two women and the girl joined the car. But before entering, Korra remembered that she had to go back to the Air Temple Island; she had left Naga there, with a sense of urgency, and she had to go and get her!

So Asami left alone with Isolina, to go back to the mansion. She didn't need to show her around, but...

"I think you'll have to sleep with us tonight, though," she said. "I have started renovations in your room and it's not over yet, and I doubt that you want to sleep in one of the rooms that are further…"

"I want to stay with you."

"I figured as much. Do you mind if I call Lu? He told me that you went missing, so he must be worried."

Isolina shook her head and followed Asami, who sat in front of the phone in her office. She was going to try to reach her assistant, but a small hand pulled on her clothes.

She turned to the little girl, who was looking shy and hesitant. The young woman raised an eyebrow: what did she want?

She waited patiently, Isolina glanced at her, then stared at the floor, then glanced at her again. She moved a little closer, before uttering a very slight "Mum"; it was hesitant and barely audible, as if she was testing how it felt if she said it. She could do it now, right? That way, Asami would be her mum and she couldn't escape.

Asami's heart was caught into a haze of thousands of sensations, each as pleasant as the other, and she smiled brightly. She ran a hand through Isolina's hair and she lifted her head, catching the young woman's boundless affection.

"Yes?" she told her, confirming that she could use that term to refer to her.

The little girl extended her arms: she didn't want to be away from Asami, even from a centimeter. So, the young woman took her on her knees, wrapping her arms around her and kissing her hair. Once Isolina had finished settling, leaning against her chest, she finally dialed the number of her office, while stroking the little girl in her arms. She almost wanted to avoid this call, just not to disturb the moment... She was good like that. She felt serene. Finally.

Very soon after, she was answered:

"Lu? So, the meeting?" she asked.

"Asami!" he exclaimed, happy to have some news from her. "The meeting went well. Everyone has left, but they hope to see you again soon."

"Of course."

"What about you? Everything went well? Everyone is okay?"

"Yes, yes, we got home."

"We?"

"Korra is coming soon, and Isolina is with me."

"Really?"

"Do you want to say hello to Lu?" she asked her.

Isolina shook her head. She still didn't like the talking devices. It made it so weird.

"Well, no, she doesn't want to," Asami said.

"It's ok. I'll see her again soon, I guess."

"Certainly…"

"Anyway, I'm happy. You will probably spend less time in your office moping."

"Working," she corrected.

"Right… Well, I'll let you enjoy your little family! See you next week!"

The conversation ended and Asami thought a little. Isolina was on her lap, looking at her questioningly.

"It's early," she said. "Do you want to go to the Air Temple Island? We could go eat there. I know you missed Reena a lot, she would be happy to see you again."

"Really?"

"Yes, she was very worried. Do you want us to go see her?"

"But Korra said she was coming home with Naga."

"If we leave now, we can join her before she leaves."

"Okay!"

Isolina didn't need to be asked twice and almost jumped as she pulled Asami out, making the green-eyed woman laugh.

Soon, they arrived at the Air Temple Island where they saw Korra chatting with Opal and Reena; Naga was next to her with a backpack. As soon as the little airbender's eyes landed on the two new comers, she rushed towards them. She came so fast that she almost pinned Isolina down while hugging her.

"You're here!" she told her.

Isolina was so surprised that she didn't react first. Her friend pulled away a bit, looked into the eyes with deep joy and a huge grin before throwing herself on her again.

"You are here, you are here, you are here!" she repeated, hopping to punctuate her words. "I thought I'd never see you again…"

"Me too," Isolina said, returning her embrace.

Reena withdrew again, but this time she stood in front of Asami. She looked at her briefly before giving her a hug too.

"Thank you," she told her.

"I didn't do anything, Reena... It's all thanks to Isolina."

She slightly smiled at her once the child had separated from her and Reena looked at her a little shamefully, making herself tiny and invisible—something she did very rarely given her rather exuberant personality.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I was mean to you. Mom said it wasn't good, but I was missing Isolina…"

"I understand. It's ok. I'm sorry too, I didn't want to hurt you."

Reena nodded and then thought she was done, she went back to Isolina, taking her hand and saying excitedly:

"I found a lot of new hiding places! You wanna see?"

"Yeah! Can I go, Asami?" she asked, turning to the young woman.

"Of course, sweetie. Make sure to come back for supper time."

She kissed her quickly before fleeing with Reena to discover the secrets of the island. The green-eyed woman smiled a little before joining her wife and Opal who were waiting for her.

"What are you doing here?" Korra asked. "I thought I was supposed to join you at home?"

"Change of plan: I thought we could stay here a little for the evening. It had been a long time since Reena and Isolina had not seen each other and I thought they would like it."

The three women watched the two little girls run in all directions and escape in one of their many hidden places, out of sight. Indeed, the two girls were very happy to meet again and all this joy moved the young adults.

"You had a good idea," Opal said. "When Korra said that Isolina was back, I already imaged Reena persecuting me until we went to see her. You don't know the misery you save myself from," the airbender sighed. "I'll let the others know that you are staying for supper; I don't think it'll bother anyone."

The two women followed her, greeting their friends and hearing from each other, until it was time for supper.

—

"You're staying this time, right?" Reena worried.

She didn't want her friend to leave. It was true that she had many friends at school and on the island, but she really enjoyed spending time with Isolina. She was different from everyone, she was interesting. Plus, she had had to insist so much to be her friend that she never wanted it to change again!

"Asami said that this time she won't leave me anymore," Isolina said.

"Do you think it's true? She won't change her mind?"

"She promised…"

"Does that mean she's going to be your mum now?"

Isolina nodded.

"She said she and Korra are my mums now."

"That's great! I'm so happy! But wait... why are you still calling her Asami then?"

Isolina merely looked away, her face a little impassive. Reena tilted her head, her eyes questioning. She said nothing and waited patiently for an answer from her friend. The blue-eyed girl glanced at her before looking away again. Then she finally formulated an answer.

"It's... weird to call her that... I'm used to calling her Asami... And then, my mum... I don't know if she would like that…"

"But it's weird to call your mum by her first name, right? If you really want Asami to be your mum, you have to call her 'mum'."

"But... I already had a mum…"

"And you have two more. Look, if you call Asami 'mum', that doesn't mean you can't call Korra mum. It's the same with your mum before. They are all your mums."

"I guess…"

"That's it then! Problem fixed!"

Reena grinned brightly, pleased with her wonderful logic, but Isolina was puzzled. Was that really how it worked? Did she really need to call Asami 'mum' in order for her to really be her new mum? For her to take care of her and not to abandon her? If it had to be done, she was willing to, but she still found it a bit disturbing... Maybe she just had to get used to it...

She thought of her mum and dad who were gone... What would they do? It wouldn't bother them too much? She couldn't know: they were no longer there. But... she didn't want to forget them...

She tried not to think too much about it and she kept talking about everything and nothing with Reena, to visit the other hiding places, until they returned to the adults in order to eat.

Isolina went back to Asami and Reena stayed with her. Sometimes during the meal, while Isolina was going to call Asami by her first name, Reena nudged her to change. So she was trying to call her 'mum' as her friend wanted. After a few times, it seemed a little more natural, though a little strange and daring.

The young woman with green eyes was a little suspicious and raised an eyebrow. It seemed that there were a few things to settle concerning this matter...

The meal ended in joy and good humor. The Avatar and the businesswoman decided not to stay too late, the day having been grueling and emotional, and the six-year-old girl needing to rest and recover from it all.

So they went back to the mansion, and Korra, who had not forgotten their worries from earlier, went out almost immediately to see if she could get back Isolina's belongings: it was still quite early in the evening, though a little late for a child.

Asami and Isolina remained together. The young woman made her get ready to go to bed, and since she didn't have any spare clothes, she lent her a shirt that was too big and could be used as a nightgown until Korra returned.

Then Asami settled on the bed, cross-legged.

"Come here," she said to Isolina, patting the space in front of her.

The little girl stood in front of Asami, wondering what she wanted to do. Then, the green-eyed woman made her turn her back to her and began to braid her hair humming a soft and fragile air. Isolina listened and relaxed, feeling the delicate fingers of Asami playing with her hair.

"You know," Asami finally said, her braid almost finished, "you don't have to call me 'mum' if that makes you feel uncomfortable."

The little girl was troubled by her words and found nothing to say. Wasn't it exactly the opposite that Reena had told her?

"Do you remember what I told you earlier on the tree? About my mother?" Asami continued, finishing the braid.

"Yes..." Isolina said, not really understanding what she was getting at.

"My father never loved again, I never had another mother. But if that had been the case, I must admit that I don't know if I would have been able to call her 'mum', too…"

Isolina turned around, looking deep into Asami's green eyes.

"Really?"

"Did Reena tell you that you had to call me 'mum' now?"

Rather than answering her, Isolina reformulated what her friend had told her:

"But it's going to be weird if you're a mum and I'm not calling you 'mum'!"

"Maybe... But that doesn't mean you have to force yourself. You can call me Asami or mum, I won't love you more, I won't love you less, and it won't change the fact that from now on you will be my daughter, our daughter."

Isolina sat down and looked down at her feet. She didn't know what to think of this conversation. And as usual when she couldn't understand everything, she asked more questions:

"Don't you like when I call you 'mum'?"

Asami chuckled a little.

"I do... I do like that. I like being a mother for you, not just on paper."

Even if theoretically, even on paper, she wasn't her mother. Not yet.

"Do you think... my mum from before would agree?" Isolina asked, a little feverish.

"I don't know, Isolina. I didn't know your parents. But... they're not here anymore, you can't do anything about it. If you feel like you hurt them when you call me that, in this case don't do it."

"I'm afraid to forget them... to replace them... But I don't want to…"

"I see... You know, the best way to fight against forgetfulness is to freeze the memories."

"What do you mean?"

"If you don't want to forget your parents, why don't you write everything you remember about them? That way, as soon as you're afraid of forgetting, you'll be able to read all your memories and you'll be sure they'll never leave you again."

"Yes!" Isolina exclaimed, delighted with this solution.

"I don't want you to forget your parents, Isolina, and I don't want to replace them either. They will always be your parents, as my mother and father are still my parents even though both of them are gone today. I can't and don't want to replace them, but I want to accept that other people enter my life. Then, who are these people and how I call them, it's up to me, and it's the same for you. Understood?"

Isolina nodded.

"Very well, time for bed now!"

She lifted the covers and Isolina placed herself in the middle of the bed. She asked Asami a last hug, curling up against her to fall asleep. The green-eyed woman knew she wouldn't be able to move anymore, but she let her do as she wanted, hugging her and stroking her braided black hair.

"You stay there, huh?" Isolina made sure.

"Yes. And I'll be there when you wake up too. And tomorrow, and the day after, and every day. I promise."

"Okay... Good night... Mum."

She had said this last word with a slight smile, while snuggling even closer to Asami. She was good here, with her. It finally pleased her that Asami could be her mother. So, if it was her choice to make, she chose to call Asami 'mum' and Korra too, but she wouldn't forget what was there before.

As Reena said, it just made her have two more mums. And as Asami said, she was the only one who could choose what these people meant to her or how she called them. So, even though Korra and Asami weren't her mums the same way her mum before was, they would still be her mums, because they were kind and special and she loved them and wanted to stay with them. These were good reasons, right?

As for the green-eyed woman, she smiled. She was glad this her talk with Isolina helped her to clear things up. She no longer had that little resigned and troubled tone, but a decided and charming one. In these conditions, it didn't bother her to be called 'mum'. She was going to enjoy seeing Korra's expression when Isolina was going to call her 'mum' too, because she didn't doubt it was going to happen at one time or another.

"Okay," Asami said, indicating that she understood her decision. "Good night, my daughter."

Not long after, Isolina fell asleep and Asami waited for Korra.

—

Korra had taken Naga to go to Isolina's official parents. She was a little tired of flying, and Naga needed to stretch her legs, having been on the Air Temple Island for a while. Then, as Isolina would sleep with them, Naga should surely stay out, so she surely could spend a little of time with her.

They arrived fairly quickly at the couple's home. There was still light, so Korra deduced that they weren't sleeping yet. So she allowed herself to ring and they came quickly to open her, bringing her what they had that belonged to Isolina. A big suitcase... It was going to be so convenient to transport that to the mansion...

She thanked them, they chatted slightly, then Korra told them that they would meet again soon; which, no doubt, was destined to happen, since the problem of Isolina's guard was still to be solved.

Then she left. She ended up trying to carry the suitcase while guiding Naga, which made her stop several times (it couldn't be said that the maneuvers were extremely precise...). She finally arrived home, although much later than she thought, not that she realized it immediately. That's why she let Naga in, thinking that maybe Isolina would want to play a little with her—Reena had taken her right away, so they had only played a little with Naga, who was thrilled to find her young friend, though.

Realizing the silence in the house, she left the suitcase near the entrance and headed silently towards the room. The door was open, there was light, but no sound. She glanced inside and noticed Isolina and Asami, both asleep against each other.

These two, geez... Well, I guess I just have to find another place to sleep, not to wake them, she thought.

As she was about to leave, her polar bear dog blocked her passage, pushing her inside her room with her big nose.

"Naga!" Korra grumbled, between the murmur and a more pronounced discontent.

She reached the end of the bed and saw Asami waking slowly. When she noticed her, she smiled at her.

"Come," she said, holding out her hand.

Korra took her pale-skinned hand and cautiously slipped to the girl's side without waking her. Asami kept her hand in hers, and finally went back to sleep. The blue-eyed woman didn't fall asleep immediately and looked at the two asleep figures.

Then, seeing that Naga had settled at the foot of the bed and began to snore softly, she thought she should do the same and was lulled by the light breaths of the bodies beside her.

Korra smiled before falling asleep: they were her family, her wife and her daughter. She hadn't been as concerned about that need of having a child in her life as Asami had before, but she was glad and counted herself happy that Asami had brought Isolina to their place. From now on, she no longer imagined things to be otherwise.

The night was peaceful, their sleep was peaceful, it was a new beginning, which this time would be just as peaceful.

* * *

 **A/N: So, how was it? A review/comment would be awesome! Seriously x) This was so much work xDD**

 **Then, little things I need/want to say:**

 **\- This was supposed to be the last chapter. Supposed only. I kinda wanted to make an epilogue, and after that I realized that I left too many things unsettled and… it grew too big (as ever).**

 **\- So, just for you to know: for now, there are three chapters left. I didn't finish chapter 26 and it's probably going to be longer than this one. So, l hope you'll like that xD And even if the main story is somewhat finished, that you'll stay with me a little longer! (Although I don't know how often I'll be able to post. Could be in a few weeks, or in a few months. I really have no idea. As I said on the French side: I'll try to take less than a year at least xD)**

 **So, um… Thank you for reading, of course and see you!**

 **Lion**

* * *

 **Answer review guest:**

 **GuestMcCarry** **:**

 **Hi!**

 **Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you loved the last chapter even it was sad x) I found your comment quite funny. Who said Lin called? (It wasn't her in that case xD)**

 **Um… Well, as for the name for the organization, I did want to name it. But I am really bad with names. And since I didn't come up with something original or even cool, I decided not to name it. But if you have ideas, I'll sure examine them x)**

 **Thank you again and see you another time!**

 **Lion**


	24. A Dangerous Encounter

**A/N: Hi everyone!**

 **I'm finally back! And I have some news concerning this story! We'll see that at the end.**

 **For now, I'll just say that the name given to the organization wasn't my idea. So, thank you, GuestMcCarry!**

 **No beta for this chapter. Have a good read!**

* * *

Asami was tapping the wheel, a chaotic and messy rhythm resonating in the car; it certainly reflected the state of her thoughts. She eyed out the window, looking a bit nervous, and the second after she eyed out her windshield before paying attention back to the window.

She sighed. She couldn't help feeling irritated by her own self, but she couldn't really bring herself to stop. Maybe it would be better to leave... No, she couldn't do that...

She growled.

"Do you even know that you look kinda creepy?" Korra said as she entered the car.

The green-eyed woman turned to her wife, frowning.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm watching you, who are watching our daughter on her first day of class. I assume you don't have any plan on moving from here at any time of the day?"

"First ever day of school, you mean. And I... I don't know. Maybe she won't feel well and will want to come back in the middle of the day..."

"Stop dramatizing. She's in the same class as Reena, everything'll be fine."

"But that's the problem! They are all two years older than she is! It could make her feel very uncomfortable!"

"Maybe, or maybe not. But you should stop worrying like that."

Asami uttered a vague sound of approval and began to look out the window, half slouching on her steering wheel. She watched the White Lotus guards patrolling the area.

"And then, if the organization..."

"Ah, that's what makes you worry?" the Avatar interrupted.

"And it doesn't make _you_ worry, of course."

"They're not in Republic City anymore. We didn't arrest them yet, but it won't take long... They are too weak to attack us."

"That's only what you say..."

"I'm sure they won't attack her _at school_. It's too noticeable, it would make too much of a fuss."

The CEO just let out a huge sigh and continued to watch the street carefully. Korra could say whatever she wanted, there were too many parameters she couldn't control in this story not to be worried.

"I guess you're staying?" the Avatar eventually asked.

"I am…"

"Well, that's fine. If you're staying, I'm staying too. But if we're going to spend the day together, we could at least go for a walk from time to time."

Asami then turned to her, just to eye her.

"What? At least during lunch break!"

As an answer, the green-eyed woman just uttered a sound between sighing and grunting, and looked back through her windshield.

Korra, not satisfied, began to attack her wife with tickles. She struggled, trying not to hit the ceiling of the vehicle or the window, or anything in fact. But she finally gave in and laughed, despite her nervousness.

"All right, all right! We will go for a walk!" she abdicated.

"Cool, a date in the middle of the week, it's been quite a while," she said, stopping tickling her and kissing her on the tip of her lips.

"A date that you graciously extorted."

"Whatever you say…"

Korra just kissed her again, with a little more passion. If they were going to stay in this car, she might as well do it with some benefits... Plus, it would distract a little Asami from her overprotectiveness.

—

Isolina, on the other hand, easily got used to being in class. Not to the people, but to the silence they were asked to do, to how they were asked to behave. She was doing pretty well on this side. And, as soon as she was bored, she thought of something else.

She was in front of the class, it prevented her from realizing the world that was around her. From time to time, she looked a little to her right, to her left, behind, and she wanted to run away from all those pairs of eyes that stared at her from behind. Then she saw Reena who, as if she was waiting for their eyes to meet, instantly began to make more or less extravagant gestures.

So, Isolina smiled. She was glad Reena was there. It was with the hope of being able to spend more time with her friend that she had agreed to go to school. Otherwise, she would have preferred to learn like before. But neither Asami nor Korra could teach her, and they explained it to her. So she was at school now, not very reassured. Since she had started to learn in advance, she had skipped two classes, which allowed her to be with Reena, which still reassured her mothers.

Thus, hours passed until it reached the break. She didn't quite understand why everyone suddenly got up and went out of the room. So, she remained pinned down her chair. It wasn't that bad here. Also, it avoided being with the others... She had noticed that they looked at her curiously, she didn't like that. She turned, looking for Reena, but she wasn't on her chair anymore. She had left too? She had left her all alone?

Then, letting her eyes wander along the classroom, she realized that Reena was actually talking to a small group of people in-between the desks. She was back to her, and with the ambient shambles she didn't hear the subject of conversation.

She was tempted to approach, to find out more about it, to be with Reena, but at that moment, several pairs of eyes stared at her. Surprised and frightened, she looked away and gave her attention back to her desk. She heard footsteps behind her and she wanted to bury herself in her arms, but a familiar voice said to her:

"What are you doing?"

Isolina looked up at Reena and smiled at her.

"I don't know..." she replied. "What are _you_ doing?"

"Um... Going out to play with my friends. Wanna come with us?"

"I don't know them…"

"But you know me!"

"Yes, but…"

"It'll be cool, you'll see!" she interrupted.

She took her hand, making her rise from her chair, and bringing her to her friends. When they arrived near them, Isolina became very small. She squeezed Reena's hand, as she hid a little behind her.

"Guys, this is Isolina! She's my best friend!'

"That's not fair," one of the girls in the group complained. "Why is _she_ your best friend when you've known us for a longer time?"

"Because I like her a lot?" the airbender tried. "Should we play tag?"

The girl was going to protest, not really understanding why this little girl had more favors than them. They had known one another for years, since they were very young. And yet, since she had arrived, Reena considered her as her best friend. She was so shy compared to her, it was even strange that they got along...

"Kids, breaks are better outside," the teacher said, approaching. "Go enjoy some fresh air."

They obeyed and Reena pulled Isolina out, holding her hand, while the others followed.

"Well, who wants to catch the others?" the airbender said, once they were out.

"Me, me! Me!" a boy shouted, excited.

"It's not fair," another boy complained. "You run faster than everyone else..."

"Well, that's precisely what's fun!"

"Come, Isolina, we have to run away from this dangerous guy!" Reena shouted, taking her with her and keeping her hand in hers as she did so.

"Wait!" the little waterbender exclaimed, definitely not understanding anything about the situation.

"It started? Oh, I'm coming then! Raaarh!"

"Your imitation is really bad..."

"Well, well, you'll be next then!"

The children started to run in all directions and Isolina learned to play tag. She stayed close to Reena until she was touched, so she started to play and touch the other players. She ended up having a good time.

Although some of Reena's friends were a bit reluctant, others tried to get to know her a little more. As long as her best friend stayed with her, it didn't bother her. Besides, she was the one who pushed her to speak with them. She said it was necessary for her to make friends. So, if that was what Reena wanted, she wanted to try. Who knows? Having other friends might not be so bad...

—

The day ended. Rather than being greeted by her mothers, Reena led Isolina to the White Lotus guards, a little further away, who brought her back to Korra and Asami. Security matter. If they were not there, at least she had protection. Then, it was also for Isolina not to be under pressure because of her family.

When they arrived at Korra and Asami—who seemed to be bickering in front of the car— Reena greeted them, then she went off on her way. Isolina tried to hold her back, but she simply told her that she would see her the next day anyway. (There was a certain number of documents to sign and others things that made it not necessarily a great idea to spend the end of the afternoon together, and then they had already played for a long time!)

"So, little puppy, how was it today?" Korra asked, once they were alone with the child.

"Fine... Both of you came?" Isolina asked, surprised.

She knew that school was important, but still...

"Let's say I was curious, and I came to watch over Asami who was crazy with worry. You know how she is," the Avatar informed.

Isolina looked up at the green-eyed woman, seeing her wince a little, and she chuckled. She was used to having Asami rather worried and Korra making fun of her. She had ended up laughing when she made that expression.

"Yeah, anyway, the important thing is that everything went well," Asami growled.

Korra and Isolina laughed again, and the green-eyed woman sighed.

"As if I were the only one worried for today..." she continued.

"No, but you were the only one _excessively_ worried," her wife corrected.

"It's okay, Mum," Isolina reassured. "I was scared too. And I'm glad you're here."

Asami smiled and ran a hand through Isolina's hair.

"I'll always be here," she told her. "Come on, let's go home."

* * *

 _Life seemed to have resumed a normal course, or rather a semblance of normality for Isolina, who had never been able to enjoy a truly lasting peace, without danger, without a constant escape, without pain and misery._

 _But everything was not over. This normality was still like a disturbing illusion, which could disappear in a flash, because the conflicts were not settled._

 _However, Korra and Asami had taken necessary steps to make it all possible as soon as possible:_

* * *

Although the future was simple in theory (Isolina wanted to stay with Korra and Asami, and Asami and Korra wanted to stay with Isolina), the reality was a little more complicated.

Isolina's custody wasn't much of a legal battle, since the adoptive parents had decided to abandon their rights. However, considering the influence of the Avatar and the CEO of Future Industries, there was some doubts concerning the circumstances of this sudden abandonment. There was also a big problem regarding the well-being of the child.

So there were a series of depositions, legal and psychological examinations, for months in order for Korra and Asami to have her custody.

Lin was called in, as someone close to the case, the psychologist that Isolina had met too (which didn't really help them). Considering that the appointment had occurred months prior and that many things had happened in the meantime, there were new appointments with another person. Sometimes Korra and Asami were asked to come, together or separately, and sometimes not. Isolina was reluctant to go alone at first, but she eventually put up with it.

The parents were also heard and said that Isolina refused to have any other parents than the two women she had been used to living with the past few months.

They had indeed tried to separate the child from the two women, while the procedures were going on, but they soon realized that it was a very bad idea and had gave up on it.

It was long, it was painful, but by dint of perseverance, Isolina ended up being officially Asami Sato and Avatar Korra's daughter. Finally.

They were rid of a huge burden, but not of all their worries.

Isolina was still a child whose way of life was unusual. She continued to go to work with Asami or Korra, until the next school year, when she could calmly join a class.

She usually spent her days playing and learning, and Asami took the opportunity to see how deep her knowledge was.

In the evening, she played with Reena most of the time, and she still struggled to make friends.

And at night, she still had nightmares.

That's why, even after the custody worries were solved, Isolina continued to see a psychologist regularly, making sure that the after-effects of her past didn't mess her up too much in her day-to-day life.

And, of course, Hieu and the organization were still on the run. Therefore, the little family had the permanent protection of the police forces and the White Lotus, which wasn't exactly the best...

The investigation was running its course, but far too slowly to their likings. So, Korra decided to do something...

"I need your help," Korra said, showing up where her sworn enemy was taken.

The latter, not expecting to have a visit, opened an eye, making the chains that held him to the ground clink as he slightly lowered to the ground.

"Avatar Korra," he said with a nod in her direction. Then, after a pause: "Why would I help you?"

"Because I ask you to."

"I have absolutely nothing to gain from helping the Avatar. But I'll admit that I am a little curious... With all the people you have under your heel, why come to see me?"

"I think you're the only one who can have information. Look, we're looking for a secret organization, like the Red Lotus. From what we know, they abduct people who have extraordinary bending abilities, enslave them and they have a grudge against me. Have you heard about it? Are they related to the Red Lotus?"

"People with extraordinary bending abilities, you said?" he asked, his eyes turning curious as he was looking at the Avatar.

She nodded earnestly, sincerely hoping that Zaheer's renewed interest was a sign that he was going to help her.

It was the only way to help Isolina, to stop these criminals, so that she could live freely. She would never have resorted to him if she had another solution. (Asami had tried to dissuade her, but ended up only wincing, because she knew what it was necessary.)

"Maybe I can help you," Zaheer finally said after a pause. "But there is one condition."

Korra, who had almost been carried away with too much enthusiasm, winced. Obviously, a condition.

"A condition? Do you think you're in a position to ask me for conditions? After all you did to me? I'm telling you, if you want to go out, even for a second, it's no!"

The bearded man calmly raised his hand, telling her to stop all that noisy talk. He resumed floating, in a meditative position.

"I don't want to get out. I know that the White Lotus would never allow it. And then, nothing prevents my mind from going out... There is nothing waiting for me outside."

He made a new pause. Korra looked at him, resisting the urge to stomp, although she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for the much talked about condition.

"Why are you interested in this organization?" he asked. "As far as I know, the Avatar don't care about criminal organizations, as odious as they are, as long as it does not threaten the "balance of the world"."

"That's none of your business."

"If you do not cooperate, I do not get why I would make the effort to cooperate with you."

The blue-eyed woman groaned. Well, she was going to give as little information as possible...

"A person I really care about is hunted down by this organization."

"I figured as much. So that's my condition: I want to meet them."

"No way!" Korra took offense, not imagining to put Isolina in this kind of situation.

"Very well. In this case, you will not have your information."

Korra raged inside. She was shaking with all her body, so much that she was clenching her fists along her body, stiffer than a tree trunk.

"Why?" she retorted. "Why do you want to meet them? It won't give you anything! You don't know them!"

"I don't have many visits. Think about my offer, Korra. And then, when you make up your mind, come to me. I will be happy to help you."

Korra stared at her old enemy, the man who had tried to kill her. He was calm, insensitive to her annoyance, insensitive to the conditions of this talk, to everything that had a link with this earth. He looked peaceful to her, perhaps even kind, if she dared to use such qualifiers.

She really doubted that he wanted to harm Isolina: he had no reason, except maybe hurting her, but he wouldn't break the Avatar cycle that way and she knew it was his purpose, he had never wanted to make her suffer as a person. Maybe she could trust him...

"If I bring them here, do you intend to hurt them? Use them to reach me?" she asked.

"No. My reasons are much simpler than that."

She stared at him for a moment, trying to decide.

"Have I ever lied to you, Korra? I may not have always told you the whole truth, but I have never lied to you. I want to help you, but I want to know this person first."

"Okay…"

Well, she was going to trust him. They just had not to take her too close and he wouldn't be able to reach her. But... she was going to have a harder time convincing Asami...

—

"It's no, I refuse," Asami said, continuing to walk, back to Korra.

The latter had exceptionally come to her office to talk to her about her meeting with Zaheer. Of course, she was expecting this reaction... She understood it and somewhat she also approved it, but they couldn't afford not to do anything. So, even if Isolina would be in a slightly difficult position, they had to try.

"Come on, Asami, we have no choice on this one! Lin has already done everything she can, the henchmen who were arrested have been interrogated hundreds of times and it didn't even help a bit. Nobody in their organization will ever do anything. It's our only chance to stop them!"

"Maybe, but I... Can't we finish the search in Republic City first?"

"Because you seriously think they stayed after everything we did? Not to mention that they may have a link with the Triads, or the black market, or anything that is illegal and to which we have no access! Nothing can be done against them as long as we don't know a thing. And we can't learn anything if we don't ask the right people. Zaheer..."

"Yes, I know, I know... He may have information, but... I don't understand. How can we be sure that he won't use Isolina against us, against you?"

"He promised it to me."

Asami turned around and stared at her, looking like, "Are you really serious right now? Trust a criminal?"

"What? He looked sincere! Trust my instinct! Please!"

The CEO thought for a moment. She finally declared in a decided tone:

"If she's going, I'm going too."

"Okay, great, let's have a family reunion in jail. I'm looking forward to it!"

Asami just sighed. She hated this affair to the highest degree. But she also knew that the longer she was dawdling, the more Isolina was in danger, and she couldn't afford it. Especially since she was starting to have a normal childhood beside that and was enrolled in school... The more she went out, the further away she was from Korra or from her, the more dangerous it was. It was imperative that she put an end to this hunt.

She hated Zaheer for what he had done to Korra, she wasn't going to forgive him, but if he could be helpful... so be it. But she would watch him, and he would never hurt anyone she loved ever again.

* * *

Asami, Korra and Isolina were in front of the huge wooden door guarded by two White Lotus guards. It was the moment.

"Are you ready?" Korra asked Isolina.

She nodded. She had heard so much about Zaheer... She was having a hard time believing she was going to meet him. She was infinitely curious, but she was also a little scared, because he was mean and had hurt Korra, although she was very, very, very strong. But at the same time, she was with Korra and Asami, and she knew that her mums wouldn't let him hurt her.

"Don't be scared," the Avatar said. "If everything is ok, he shouldn't do much. I don't really know to be honest. I don't know what he's scheming..."

"That's exactly the problem..." Asami growled, before kneeling at Isolina's side. "If you ever feel threatened, don't hesitate and protect yourself, okay? We're here with you, so it should be fine, but if... if anything happens, you do everything you can to survive. Understood?"

"But... even bloodbending?" the girl asked hesitantly, frowning.

"Yes."

"No!" Korra intervened. "It's forbidden!"

"It's self-defense, we don't care whether it's forbidden or not!" Asami defended.

"I don't even get why we're talking about that. I'm telling you that everything will be fine. Zaheer may be mad, but... I trust him."

"Which I don't…"

Asami took Isolina in her arms, to reassure herself a little, thinking that she was at least controlling the situation like that.

Korra would almost have laughed if the stakes weren't so important, and if she didn't remember the intense and uncontrollable fear she had had because of the airbender. To tell the truth, she still had chills and was suspicious. But she also knew that Zaheer wasn't completely bad. His logic differed from hers and was probably a bit extreme, that was all.

The Avatar nodded to the White Lotus guards. The door opened, they took the elevator and went down. Soon they were facing the prisoner who was still meditating, levitating several feet above the ground.

"It seemed to me that the condition was that you bring back the person threatened by this organization, Avatar Korra," Zaheer said, not opening his eyes. "Not your partner."

"She's with us..."

Zaheer opened his eyes, a little surprised. He had not felt her presence... And he had heard only two people walk...

He saw then, a small body taking refuge against the raven-haired woman's.

"A child?" he asked, his eyes widening a little because of the surprise.

"Yes."

"Let me see her more closely."

Asami stepped forward, but not close enough in order for him to be able to touch them. In any case, he didn't move and remained in levitation, watching the green-eyed woman approach him with caution and distrust.

The little girl looked up at him curiously, clinging tightly to her mother's clothes. She had never seen anyone fly like that! It was the same as in the Korra's stories!

"You can let go, you know," Zaheer said. "I only want to talk."

Asami stiffened on the spot. How dared he tell her that?

"You have already nearly killed a person I love and because of you, Kuvira killed my father, so excuse me for not trusting you!"

"If I wanted to kill you... it wouldn't be complicated."

He had said this last part of the sentence a little more energetically and jumped back in the air, throwing a gust of wind that separated Asami from Isolina. Still thanks to his bending, he took the green-eyed woman's throat.

"Zaheer!" Korra shouted, taking fighting stance but hoping she wouldn't have to attack.

"Asami!" Isolina shouted, panicked, getting up from the floor she had fallen on, staring at the raven-haired woman.

Then, she abruptly turned to the airbender and he lost the control of his bending, his arms being mysteriously brought to each side of this body. He looked at the child, whose eyes were menacing and whose hands were directed at him, like claws ready to shred him.

He raised an eyebrow before starting to laugh, with deep intonations.

"So, that's why they want her! It's a beautiful little jewel, indeed," he said.

Korra relaxed a little. So, this was just a test? She went to Asami, who was still a little shaken, not expecting that. She was slowly starting to breath normally and to calm down.

"Isolina, let go," Korra asked. "He won't hurt anyone..."

The young child didn't understand the situation. She knew that bloodbending hurt. So why had the man laughed? And why had Korra told her to stop? He wanted to hurt Asami!

Seeing that Isolina was in doubt and that she didn't intend to let go, Asami went to her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Isolina, let go. Korra's right, he will not hurt you."

"But what about you?"

"He will not hurt me either. Nor will he hurt Korra. He just wanted to see your reaction."

She would have liked not to be used to do so, though... She was a little tired of being the target of over-skilled benders. And to be honest, he deserved to be bloodbent. But well, they had to have him talk, so even if she was suspicious, she had to calm the little girl.

"My reaction?" the little girl asked.

"He wanted to check that you were a very strong bender. Look, you're stronger than him. He can't hurt you."

Isolina looked at him. He was looking at her too calmly, as if he didn't care that she had control over his body. He didn't look scared or like he thought she was stronger than him...

"Isolina," Asami said. "Everything is fine now. You can let go. You know that bloodbending is no good, and you don't need it right now."

After another moment of hesitation, she dropped her arms, resigning herself to let go of Zaheer.

The airbender was a little freer of his movements, but it didn't feel like a big change, because the child hadn't bloodbent him to the maximum of her ability. She had done the bare minimum to stop him, but she didn't want to make him suffer. A soul still pure and innocent of violence of men... Or who didn't want to perpetrate them in any case.

The little girl turned to Asami and looked down. She felt a bit guilty for not listening to Korra and Asami from the start. They were right, Zaheer wasn't trying anything... for now.

"I'm sorry, Mum..." she apologized.

Mum? the man with the beard was astonished. Ah, that was why they wanted to protect her so badly... Obviously, the Avatar was still acting according to her own selfish interests... What a sad loss... However, he could bear it if it helped him to accomplish his own objective.

"It's okay, sweetie," Asami said. "I was the one who told you to bloodbend if you felt like you needed it. But try to avoid it anyway. He didn't really attack me..."

Well, she was still scared, but she wasn't going to say it. If she had been in her daughter's situation, she wasn't convinced that Zaheer would still be alive...

The latter went down a little, skimming the ground.

"Isolina," he called. "Come, I have a story to tell you."

The little girl stared at him. He waited patiently. She looked at Asami, who was staring at Zaheer, impassive, then at Korra, who nodded, encouraging her to listen to the airbender. She finally decided to approach him.

The young CEO restrained her urge to tell her to walk away and Korra was watching closely the exchange, remaining a little on her guard.

"I knew someone like you," Zaheer said.

"Really?" the little girl questioned.

"Yes. A very powerful firebender."

The memory of the woman he cherished brought him back to the ground, nailing him to it. Ah, that was the price... When he thought about her, his ability to fly flew away.

"What happened to them?"

"She died when I tried to capture Korra..."

"Oh…"

"But before that, we worked together for a long time. And even before that, when she was a little older than you, she wasn't free."

"Not free?"

"People kept her and used her, because she was very powerful."

Isolina winced a little.

"That's what happened to you too?" he asked.

"Yes…"

"So, I'll tell you who they are. That's what your mothers want to know. Do you want to know too?"

"No. I know they are mean!"

"Ah, yes, they are mean," he said, letting himself simplify good and evil for the child. "Before they worked with me. I'm part of a big organization called the Red Lotus and want to restore the natural order of things.

"Because of this, the Avatar happens to be an obstacle. So we looked for different ways to stop them.

"We realized that there were benders like you, or the girl I mentioned earlier, who were very powerful and could surely beat the Avatar, which would have allowed us to destroy them in the end.

"The Red Lotus tried to recruit these people, but we had different methods. Some people, like me, were trying to convince them to follow us, for a better world. Others, like the people who hurt you, reduced them to slavery. The Red Lotus wants freedom, not slavery. So there was an internal split, when we decided to act.

"I freed this girl, P'li, and she swore an eternal loyalty to me, but it didn't interest me. I had to kill her so-called 'masters' who enslaved her. But the organization is not dead. I must apologize to you, Isolina. It's my fault they hurt you. I should have killed them all."

He raised his eyes to Korra and Asami, waiting silently behind. The story and the excuses were for the child, the information for the two women.

"The Black Lotus. That's how they like to be called. They claim to be able to counterbalance the power of the White Lotus, with a more powerful army: powerful enough to subdue the Avatar. The leaders of this organization... they had two sons, Ba Tu and Hieu," he said. "They ran away with people from the organization, people who protected them. They were old enough to understand the ideals of their parents, so I guess they revived that abomination."

"Do you know anything that would stop them?" Korra asked.

"It's been years and I have never been in touch with them. However, I can tell you that they had a great fortune from the industrialization of the Earth Kingdom. Up north, not so far from Republic City. Their parents' business concerned metal."

"Their names. When did you kill them?" Asami asked.

"Naoki and Botan. It was a few years before Aang died. I would say about five years. I can't help you any more than that. They have no connection with the Red Lotus today."

Korra nodded gratefully. Zaheer flew back in the air, judging they were done. The little family then started to leave.

"Korra," the airbender called her one last time.

She turned, just before getting into the elevator, where Isolina and Asami already were, holding hands.

"Destroy once and for all these criminals, as I should have done years ago."

She nodded again, seriously.

"We will. Thank you, Zaheer."

Then she left and he remained alone to meditate. He had a little trouble finding his usual peace. So many memories, emotions came back to him... Isolina's face would remain engraved in him. Such a young child...

He knew that she was probably not the only one, that this abominable organization must have grown, amplified, worsened. He couldn't imagine the tyranny they must have used to subdue people.

He thought again of P'li, of that destroyed look which shone with a mad joy when he had freed her, with that wild and aggressive gentleness that protected her, of this new freedom which she had been able to taste. He knew that Isolina had had that same look. Even now, while all this seemed behind her, he could see her hurt. Maybe it would remain like this. Young souls condemned to drag the burden of suffering for a lifetime...

He should have destroyed them completely, even if it meant having more blood on his hands, even if they were children back then... They had become monsters, worse than their parents...

Korra had to stop them. In memory of the one he loved, despite the death that separated them.

"P'li ..." he whispered, with a sudden burst of sadness. "Soon you will be avenged. These people will not exist anymore. I know the Avatar will do the right thing, even though I would have preferred to do it myself..."

He didn't doubt that if Korra needed help, she would come back. It would be a pleasure to get out to kill these monsters. But the Avatar didn't come back.

—

Korra, Asami and Isolina came out of the prison, the White Lotus guards made sure everything had been fine and everything was in order, and they left.

"You okay? You weren't too scared?" the green-eyed woman checked.

"No, it's ok..." the little girl replied. "I thought he would be meaner than that, even though he wasn't nice when he attacked us..."

"I told you everything would be fine..." Korra sighed.

"Yeah, he just nearly suffocated me, after all," Asami said sarcastically.

"I wouldn't have let him do so," her wife replied. "Anyway, we got what we wanted. By the way, I'll leave you, I'll tell Lin what Zaheer told us!"

She kissed her wife and daughter and headed for the police station, while the CEO brought the child back to the manor.

"Are we going to catch them, Mum?" the blue-eyed girl asked. "Did it really help to go to Zaheer?"

"Yes, sweetie. Soon, we will be at peace. You will be safe."

"I'm happy, then…"

"Me too."

They had never been so close to reach their goal. She was sure of it: soon Isolina could leave her past behind her, recover peacefully, turn over a new leaf and live happily and normally. And the sooner the better.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope it was fun! Don't hesitate to tell me what you thought with the reviews/comments.**

 **Also, I'm sorry for being so slow, I've been quite busy lately, and I'm pretty sure it'll become worse. So, don't expect too much from me… I'll post as soon as I can.**

 **Good news is: I finished writing the story! By the way, it's 28-chapter long, not 26-chapter long. It kinda got… out of control again. How fun, right? (Well, for you it's a pretty good news, isn't it?) So, now it's finished, I can focus on the translations a bit more, so maybe I'll be able to post in less than a few months. However, I have to write again some parts of chapter 27, so… yeah.**

 **Ah, and also, I have translation classes, so maybe it'll help a bit? (But since I've just started, I guess I'll need a little more time to get better xD However, training with you guys helped me and I'm one of the best in my class currently x) So, thank you for reading! You helped me improve by being here and just reading, as bad or good as it can be xD)**

 **I hope to see you all later!**

 **Lion**

* * *

 **Answers reviews guest:**

 **-** **GuestMcCarry** **: Hey!**

 **I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Hope you'll like this one too! I used one of your suggestions! You saw, right? :D Don't hesitate to give me your thoughts again, it's a lot of fun. I love your enthusiasm!**

 **See you later! Ah, and of course, thank you for the review!**

 **Lion**

 **-** **firekovu** **:**

 **Hellooooo!**

 **Loved your review. Really moving. Like… really moving xD You don't know how happy I am when I read these kinds of nice things :D Thank you so much!**

 **I'm glad you pointed out the realism in the characters and how they react, how they interact. It's a point I really focus on whenever I write, so it's both a relief and a pride to satisfy at least one of my readers with it. Especially when you said you started to understand Asami. I mean, it's important to make you feel connected to the character even when you don't understand them/agree with them at first.**

 **(You got me confused with your chapter 24 thing, since I hadn't posted it back then? Chapter 23 is just really long? I guess that's why you made a mistake.) Now, now, now… I can't comment everything you wrote, it would be too long x)**

 **I agree with everything you said and I'm really glad you felt that way? Still love when you said the conversations were great because I have such a struggle with them all the time xD Ah, and yeah, I really like the conversation at the end concerning how to address Korra and Asami now that they are mothers. It was a lot of fun to write! And also, it was really natural. I mean, I personally am struggling all the time whenever I have to change the titles, or an older adult asks me to call them by their first name or to be less formal. So, having a new parent is something big! I couldn't not say anything about that!**

 **Thank you for your review and your encouragements. I think you'll be glad to learn there are more than 3 chapters left now xD And don't worry, I'll work on them just fine ;) So many of you told me not to rush. I feel better that way. Thank you :D**

 **Hope to see you again! (And don't feel pressure for the reviews either. We'll still be on this story in a few months xD)**

 **Lion**


	25. A New Life

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **Is "sorry, I'm late" appropriate? x) So, yeah, it's been a while. I've been really tired and busy, I still am, so I have no idea when I'll post the next chapter, but I'll try to work on it during the holidays.**

 **This chapter is actually half of the original chapter, so I guess we'll have 29 chapters. We'll see.**

 **I decided some things, so I'm sorry if they feel rushed but you'll understand where the story is heading at the end.**

 **Have a good read!**

* * *

After the meeting with Zaheer, investigations intensified. The Earth Republic was involved, as well as Republic City, the White Lotus, friends, acquaintances... Everyone tried to put an end to this terrible organization: the Black Lotus.

The more they looked into it, the more horrors they discovered. But at the same time they discovered this invisible network, old disused bases... All this was evidence of a complexity that only added to the difficulty of the task, almost requesting them to give up.

But they kept going and learned a little more about the organization's system. Only one law reigned: the chiefs' absolute despotism. They maintained a continuous submission on their subordinates by terror and threats. There was only one way to destroy the organization: to get rid of the leaders, Ba Tu and Hieu.

If some fanatics—or victims—perpetuated the actions of the organization, they would then take care of them: their power would certainly be much less. It would be attenuated by their psychological weakness due to such a hurt and submissive mind.

Many raids occurred. Korra always took part in them, even if she had to go to the other side of the world. Asami accompanied her from time to time, which depended on the complexity of the mission. If so, Isolina stayed with Reena, protected by the White Lotus. Unfortunately, most of the raids were unsuccessful and they had to start again: to start again to investigate, to interrogate, to travel the world, to fight...

* * *

"Isolina!" Reena shouted when she saw her friend show up.

Instantly, she threw herself on her. The blue-eyed girl hugged her. She said hello to Opal, who was approaching, while Reena greeted Asami who was with her.

"Well, shall I leave you?" the green-eyed woman said after a little conversation.

Isolina nodded. She kissed her one last time and left to play with Reena.

"I'm sorry to leave her with you that much currently," Asami sighed.

"Oh, you know she doesn't bother us," Opal said, dismissing the apology with a wave of hand.

"I know, I know, but even so... I would rather avoid it. It's just that we're so close to the goal right now..."

"Yes, we know it. And after that, there won't be this problem anymore. Or less."

"I hope so... If only it could end quickly. I feel like Isolina is a little annoyed by the situation... Fortunately Reena distracts her."

"You can count on her for that," the airbender chuckled.

"Well, I'm going anyway. The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be back! Thanks again Opal!"

"No problem! See you in three days!"

Three days, yes… Three days away from her daughter, that you could add to the two days of the week before and the four days of two weeks before that... It was as if it wouldn't stop. But it would be over soon. Soon, they would put the organization where they wouldn't make any harm. The only thing that reassured her was that they were so busy escaping them that there had been no sign of life from them for several months. But they were going to bring them out of the shadows and throw them in jail for good, that was certain.

—

As usual, the two friends played, spent time with Reena's siblings, did their homework a little and then, after eating, it was time to go to bed.

As Isolina still struggled to sleep alone and Naga couldn't keep her company (she always left with Korra), she usually slept with Reena. There were two beds in the room, but they always ended up using only one.

The first time, they had fallen asleep by accident, and then it was for various reasons, including Isolina's nightmares. And eventually, they got used to it and they slept next to each other.

That's why when Isolina awoke with a start, Reena woke up too. The blue-eyed girl was breathing softly, as she had learned to do, to let the nightmare go and calm down a little. Reena was a bit used to it, so she let her do her things.

"You're having a lot of nightmares these days, right?" she asked, after a while. "I feel like you're having more of them than usual."

"It's because my moms are far away... I don't like it..."

"But you have nothing to worry about here!"

"I know... But they... are always chasing bad guys... I don't want anything to happen to them and I like them to be with me. I feel safer."

"You'd like a hug?"

Isolina said nothing but slipped into Reena's arms. She smelled of vanilla. Asami smelled of violet and Korra a sort of sweet salt water as if her South Pole roots never left her.

"Will you manage to get back to sleep?" Reena asked.

"Yes... Since you're with me."

"Of course! I'll always be with you!"

She hugged her even harder and Isolina laughed slightly. Yes, she knew that, and it reassured her intensely; even if her moms were far away, she could at least count on her best friend.

* * *

In parallel with this relatively constant problem of insecurity and lengthy investigation, Isolina continued to have a normal life. That meant she was still going to school, but she was still protected by the White Lotus. People sometimes looked at her a bit oddly, but her classmates didn't say anything. Isolina was hardworking in class, she had never had problems to follow despite being two years younger; she had made friends and had continued to get on well with Reena. This is how the elementary school ended.

Everything began to change when she started middle school. Classes were not a problem, but the schedule was. She had been separated from Reena and some of her friends because classes had changed. Their schedules didn't always match and as a result, they didn't always finish at the same time, they didn't always see one another during breaks (sometimes, some teachers took pleasure in keeping them longer than necessary), or didn't necessarily eat together.

After a few weeks, Isolina started to find it hard, especially since Reena abandoned her sometimes to be with her classmates, her new friends, with whom she had common projects or with whom she was simply going to have fun to the detriment of her former friend. It did not happen that much, but it was enough for Isolina to feel abandoned and hurt.

One day when Reena had abandoned her and she was a little quieter than usual, Asami noticed it. She began to worry when she noticed that she was again petting her purple teddy bear; she only did that when something bothered her.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" she asked, sometime when they were alone.

"Reena went to play with her other friends today..."

"Ok... And... you don't like that?"

"Whenever she does that, she gives up on me!" Isolina exclaimed, a wounded look on her face.

She knew that expression... It was her expression that meant: "you don't love me enough and you abandon me". Asami knew that Isolina had friends, she counted on them, but Reena had a very special place in her heart. She also knew that relationships, friendships changed over time, and that Isolina had trouble with this change... For her, nothing changed: what was felt once for someone was absolute and applied forever. Unfortunately, it was not because her feelings did not change that others' feelings didn't.

Which didn't necessarily mean that Reena was abandoning her either. She knew that she loved Isolina, but she also had the right to hang out with other people. Besides, she had always done that, and she could not see it changing any soon.

Sometimes, Asami was worried about her daughter's feelings, about her way of seeing things. She had a slight tendency... a big tendency to lean on important cornerstones. She knew she was one, Korra a second, and surely Reena a third. She had rebuilt herself around the three of them. If one of the cornerstones collapsed or even eroded a little, as it was the case with Reena, she feared that Isolina might really struggle to recover...

"She doesn't really give up on you," she tried to ease. "She has other friends and that's normal. _You_ hang out with Anka and Erity."

"But it's not the same! Reena is my best friend... The others are nice, but... it doesn't matter if they leave me alone," the girl finished sadly.

"You know, even if she's your best friend and you've known each other for a long time, maybe one day you won't be able to see each other so much anymore. You have to be able to rely on your other friends too, Isolina. And then, you will perhaps stop thinking that Reena abandon you by having other friends around."

"But _I_ just want to spend time with her…"

"You already spend a lot of time with her compared to your other friends. We go to the Air Temple a lot, then Mom and I went on a trip a lot of times, so you could stay with her. But you don't just have Reena, Isolina. Your other friends love you too. Try to spend a little more time with them when you feel alone, okay?"

"I'll try..." Isolina said, reluctantly.

She knew that Asami generally gave her good advice. She did not like this one, but if it made her a little less sad and angry, she was willing to try. Besides, Reena would maybe pay a little more attention to her this way...

* * *

"Mum, Mom!" Isolina shouted, as soon as she saw her mothers arrive at the Air Temple Island to pick her up.

She threw herself into Asami's arms as she did with Korra right after. Calming down, she noticed the terribly tired look of the women. She was going to ask them if everything was all right, but she did not have time to do so.

"It's over, little puppy," the blue-eyed woman said with a smile.

Isolina frowned a little, confused. What was over?

"Do you mean you…?"

"Yes," Asami replied, hugging her again and kissing her on the top of the head. "We got them. This time it's over…"

Isolina didn't say anything, stupefied. It was really over? After all these years? She would never have to be afraid again? They would never hurt her again? Suddenly, everything was coming to a stop. Her mothers would stop going to the other side of the world in order to stop this organization. She could finally live.

"It's weird..." she said, letting her head rest on her raven-haired mother's chest.

Korra laughed a little.

"It kinda is," she replied.

"You won't go away anymore?"

"No, we won't. Not after them anyway. They won't escape. They never will."

"Thank you… Thank you. So much."

The blue-eyed woman wrapped her arms around her too.

"Everything will be fine now, Isolina. I promise."

They stayed like that for a moment. The girl was a little stunned, a little impressed, she felt completely empty for a moment. Maybe she wanted to scream out of joy, cry; she didn't really know. But she knew that she was infinitely relieved, that she was at peace in a way that seemed a little odd to her, in her mothers' arms.

Everything was over then... It was as if a new life was given to her, yet she knew that nothing was really going to change. A fresh morning air only blew on her life, replacing the hot and time-worn air that had contaminated her for too long.

Finally, they put an end to their embrace and Korra and Asami smiled again at Isolina, who found the strength to smile back at them.

Opal eventually joined them and offered the two exhausted women to stay on the island to get some rest. As it did not bother Isolina to stay a little longer, they agreed.

Then Isolina left to join Reena, whom she had cowardly abandoned, she had to admit. When she reached the green-eyed girl, she was still dripping and trying to dry herself with a towel, near a stretch of water.

"Ah, here you are!" she said, seeing her arrive. "Why on earth did you leave so quickly?"

"Sorry," she smiled. "I saw my mothers arrive, so I left to join them."

"Oh, and what did they find this time?"

"They said it's over."

"It's over? They stop investigating? But those people..."

"No, it's really over. They caught them."

Reena's eyes widened for a moment, then she rushed to Isolina to hug her.

"I'm so happy!" she shouted excitedly, hopping. "They got them! Finally! I'm so happy for you!"

"Reena, you're all wet!" Isolina protested.

"I don't care! Plus, you're like a waterbender, why do you care?"

Since it bothered her friend, she rubbed her down with herself to make her wetter. Isolina, who had stiffened at the contact, gently pushed her away. However, she was still clinging onto her, leaving just enough space between them so that the waterbender wasn't going to have more water on her.

"Yes, well, in any case, they looked tired, so I think I'll stay a little longer here while they rest."

"Yeah! More good news !"

She hugged Isolina again and the latter grumbled again.

"But I'm so happy!" Reena justified, pouting in front of Isolina's face.

She looked her into the eyes and pinched her lips a little.

"What?" the airbender asked, curious about her friend's expression.

"Nothing at all!" she replied hastily.

She kissed Reena on the cheek.

"I'm glad you're my friend."

The airbender brightened with a smile and placed a quick kiss on her cheek as well, before moving away from her.

"Well, you're getting back in now?" she asked, cheerful.

"Uh... No, I don't really want to..."

"Well, get me dry me then!"

"You have a towel."

"It's faster if you do it!"

The blue-eyed girl sighed but still took the water off from Reena's body with her bending, as well as the one on her own clothes that the hugs left on her.

"Thanks!" the airbender exclaimed.

Then, she began to take off her swimsuit to change herself with the clothes lying on the ground. Isolina quickly turned away, putting a hand on her eyes.

"Can you be at least a little prudish sometimes?" she complained.

"Come on, you're exaggerating."

"And _you_ don't need to change since your swimsuit is dry."

"I just like being in my clothes. I don't get what the problem should be. Besides, it's not like you didn't know what's underneath..."

Isolina groaned. She allowed herself to take a quick glance between her fingers, without Reena noticing, then she decided that she preferred not to look.

When the airbender had finished, she approached Isolina and took the hand that prevented her from meeting her eyes. Then, she pulled her to another place where she could surely continue to have fun while waiting for her leaving.

* * *

"Hey, Reena, do you know what they say?" one of her friends asked.

She was looking out the window, not really paying attention to what she was looking at or to the lesson. In fact, she was not paying attention to anything at all. It was almost the end of the year and the end of middle school, and she really wanted to be on holidays.

In addition, her parents had told her that they would go on vacation, she was really looking forward to it! Even if the idea of constantly being with her brother and sister did not delight her greatly, especially since she would like to spend a little time with Isolina. Maybe she could ask her to come too? But even if she accepted, her parents might not agree, or Asami would not even let her go...

The blue-eyed girl was always busy anyway. Reena knew she wasn't avoiding her, but sometimes it was just like it. She ended up making a lot of friends, people Reena did not necessarily like. These people liked Isolina and somehow used her a little, she who loved so much to help others. And Reena didn't like that. But, it was her friends, she didn't really have the right to intervene.

"What do they say?" Reena asked her friend without really being interested.

He approached her with a notebook to hide his mouth as he whispered in her ear:

"The girl over there. With black hair," he said, pointing at her with his chin.

"Isolina?"

Oh, indeed, she was outside. She had not even noticed it. Well, it was sunny and she was hidden in the shade, laughing face to face with a girl with medium-length hair that she did not know. Surely one of her friends who took advantage of her too...

"Yes, yes, that one," he continued. "Well, they say she's dating the girl with her."

"She's dating this girl?..." Reena repeated, astonished.

"Some people say it's because of her mothers... You know... They say that this kind of thing passes on."

"What the hell is your problem? She's my best friend, leave her alone!" the airbender burst out. "And Korra and Asami have nothing to do with it!"

The friend in question turned white. He had forgotten that she knew them... Few people had the privilege of knowing the Avatar personally after all. As for her daughter, some didn't approach her because they were afraid of suffering the mothers' wrath and others were a little more daring, or even infinitely curious. Others again didn't care.

The whole class turned to Reena, who had spoken a little too loudly, and she was reprimanded by the teacher. She apologized, the blood still boiling.

She did not regret having raised her voice or getting herself noticed. She would protect Isolina, even if she had the whole world against her when doing so. They did not have the right to insult her friends like that. Besides, just because of a rumor that said she was dating this girl... Even if it were true, she knew Korra and Asami personally and she knew it was not what made a person good or bad. They should keep their judgments to themselves or she would make them be in for a rough time. Like, seriously!

Unable to concentrate on the lesson, she ended up watching Isolina through the window. Maybe she really was dating this girl... Her behavior suggested it, anyway. But it was strange, she had not told her about it...

After a while watching her, she noticed her look and smiled. Reena was surprised. She was about to make a discreet wave, when the girl in front of Isolina suddenly leaned over to kiss her.

Ah... So, they really were dating…

Isolina did not break the contact between their eyes right away, but the girl pushed her a little and she had to give in. Reena gritted her teeth a little. She did not like this girl, her behavior. She almost felt she had done it on purpose because Isolina was looking at her. Moreover she found her far too intimate and aggressive with her... Isolina was fragile, she did not need that. And she would not say anything, she knew it. This girl was taking advantage of her. She was sure of it. And she hated that.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! Don't hesitate to leave a comment/review! I need them x)**

 **I'll try to post between one or two chapters during the next two weeks. Don't get too much your hopes up, but I'll do my best. Everything depends on the motivation… I might disappear for a few weeks again, even if I don't want to. What you can be sure of is that I will definitely finish this story next year. Like during summer if I don't manage to do it before. Which I'll try.**

 **By the way, I might post OS that are translations from some of my French works if anyone is interested? Just tell me and if the chapter for this story is too long to come, I'll post a few OS that are mostly ready. Oh, and if anyone wants to correct the story, just tell me, because I'm like so fed up with struggling with the translations while not knowing if it's actually any good.**

 **Since I doubt I'll be back in a few days, I wish a merry Christmas to everyone and a happy new year! See you!**

 **Lion**

* * *

 **Review "guest":**

 **GuestMcCarry** **:**

 **Hi! Thank you for your review!**

 **I like the story between Zaheer and P'li too xD**

 **If horrible people existed in real life? I'm pretty sure the answer is yes :p**

 **Thank you for your idea. I thought about it too but that's not where the story was heading, and since I already wrote most of it apart for that damn chapter that I don't manage to get right, I couldn't and didn't want to change. Hope you're not too disappointed and that you'll like what's happening.**

 **See you!**

 **Lion**


	26. Family Talk, or A New life — Part 2

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **Here is the new chapter. I hope you didn't wait too long. To be honest, it was finished a little while ago but I chose to let a little time pass so that you have some kind of regularity. That way, you'll have the next chapter in a month at most and we'll see for the one after that.**

 **Just to remind you: this chapter was supposed to be the end of the one before. They work like a pair. There is a little ellipse between the two though.**

 **Also, many thanks to** _ **Freedom** **Phantom**_ **(FFnet) or Ani_Maamin (AO3) for the beta-reading and correcting weird, translated stuff! **

**Have a good read!**

* * *

Asami was reading. She looked up at her daughter, who was leading her girlfriend to the door.

When Isolina had told them she was dating a girl, the green-eyed woman had been a little surprised. Not that she had any prejudices about who her daughter should go out with, it was just that if she had to rely on statistics, she would not have opted for that. But peoples were no statistics. And Isolina had always been curious about the relationship that united her mothers. So, Asami did not know whether she was still trying to understand by practice, or she was just playing, or she really meant to go out with girls. The three options did not really mean the same things. But she had let her do what she wanted and thought that only time would tell.

And now, time had passed, middle school was over, high school had started, and they were still together. Resisting school holidays was already a great test, especially at such a young age. And when she was saying "young", she was thinking especially of Isolina, who was just fourteen years old. Hence her problem.

She felt like it was getting a little more serious (or was she more and more worried?): they saw each other a little more regularly, spent a lot of time in each other's room, and Asami feared that there might not be the same kind of feelings between a fourteen-year-old and a fifteen or sixteen-year-old. She did not want to forbid Isolina to… _have sex_ if she wanted to, but... could she not wait a little longer? It was like excessively early! Not that her daughter thought particularly about it, but she was not completely fooled either; she knew very well that curiosity awoke at these ages.

"Isolina? Come here, please," she intercepted her as she returned to her room.

The girl joined her mother and sat down in front of her while trying to guess what she wanted.

"How long have you been together with your girlfriend, remind me?"

"Uh... Something like three of four months, why?"

"And it's perfectly serious?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Just like that."

"Okay. Well, you're done?"

"Not really. No."

She was on the defensive... How great... And the conversation had just begun. Asami already knew she was going to have a hard time. She put her hand on her daughter's and tried to be as sweet and understandable as possible:

"Look, I just want to make sure you're careful. People are not always understanding."

"Don't you think it's a bit late for that? Isn't that the kind of speech that happens at the beginning?"

"Maybe. But I didn't know if you were going to stay with her at the beginning or not."

Isolina giggled, pulling her hand away.

"Wait, you're not going to tell me that you out of all people are going to tell me about it being "just a phase", right?" she quipped.

"Oh, stop it, that's not what I said."

"It was what it meant."

"Well, even so, it happens to some people, it can happen to you too. Besides, I'm not telling you to go out with boys, I'm only telling you that since you grew up with Korra and I... it could have influenced you without meaning to."

"Yeah, and before you, I had other "normal" parents, if that's what you're trying to say. So, yes, I remember girls also date boys. I have an example on the street every day."

"Isolina, don't be like that."

"How do you want me to take it, really? My mother, who is married to my other mother, is trying to tell me to be "careful" concerning my own relationship with another girl. But just by being your daughter they were already making snarky comments! So what does it change?"

"They were?"

Isolina did not answer and crossed her arms over her chest, averting her gaze.

"Why didn't you tell me about it?" her mother asked.

"Because it's useless. These people are idiots."

"Do they also make snarky comments because of your relationship with Chitra?"

"Who cares…"

"Isolina... Do they make snarky comments?" she reiterated a little more severely.

"Cut it, why do you care? It's my life!"

"I'm your mother, I need to know."

"You're not my mother. You're my adoptive mother and I've never asked you to stick your nose in my business!"

"Isolina!"

The girl quickly fled, despite her mother calling her with a scolding voice, an angry tone she rarely took.

Asami sat down and tightened the grip on the book in her hands. She clenched her teeth and raged silently. She could be so unbearable sometimes! Sometimes, just like that, she would dig her heels in. And when she did, Asami knew there was something fishy going on and that was exactly why she did not want to talk about it and started to be irascible. And that was also why her mother got even more worried. But well, no need to talk to her for now...

"Did you know that it's at least the fourth time you read the same page?" Korra asked, after watching Asami silently for a few minutes without her noticing.

The green-eyed woman looked up at her, keeping her half-focused, half-irritated expression and frowning.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Your daughter," she answered coldly.

" _My_ daughter? Okay... and what happened with _my_ daughter?"

"Nothing, we had an argument."

"Seriously, when the two of you start… And what was it this time?"

"I just wanted to talk to her!"

"About?"

"Her relationship with Chitra."

"Oh no, I know where this is heading… Don't tell me you dared to do the same thing my dad did when we told him we were together?"

"Not exactly, I..."

"You did!"

"Oh, stop it, you know very well that it's normal to worry about these things when you're a parent! I just don't want her to be harassed because of that."

"Even if she was, what could you do beside support her? Kill all those who say something?"

"That could be one of the few ideas I would think of..."

"Yeah, sure. I'm sure that Isolina would be delighted to have one of her mothers in prison. Me too, I would be at peace for a while."

Asami responded to her teasing by punched lightly and Korra laughed.

"Well, then, you're fighting, because she has taken it badly—I assume," the blue-eyed woman said, "which, in my opinion, is still quite understandable. And now, you're both sulking, because…?"

"Well, because she doesn't want to talk to me and she is her room."

"Okay, what are _you_ waiting for to go see her and apologize? You could talk more calmly after that."

"I don't see why I would do that or even what would even allow me to enter her room, because I'm apparently not her mother."

"Ouch... She said that?"

"That and that I shouldn't stick my nose in her business."

"Yes, well, for that part, she's not totally wrong..."

Asami glared at her.

"... but not entirely right either," Korra said. "Why did you even talk to her about that in the first place anyway? Their relationship is going well, she has never told us that she had problems with what others say or think, and... just why?"

"Let's say I started with this, but... it's just that their relationship is getting more serious than I thought it would, and I wonder how far they would go..."

"Are you talking about... sex?"

Asami nodded.

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a little here? She is fourteen years old!"

"And that's when we get that you lived in a remote corner of the world until you were 17, only busy with your Avatar duties."

"Hey! I wasn't such a lost cause!"

"Should we talk about your first time?"

"No, we won't talk about it, this argument is invalid."

"It _is_ very valid on the contrary!"

Korra silenced her by kissing her. She dared to climb on the sofa on which Asami was lying to deepen the kiss.

"Why the hundreds of times I made love to you can't erase the first time?" she asked.

"Because you were adorable. An adorable disaster."

"Luckily I improved since then…"

Asami laughed.

"I do prefer when you don't threaten to kill me while having sex."

"I thought we agreed not to talk about it!"

Asami laughed again, unable to stop teasing her wife. She gave her a peck on the lips to attenuate her horrible betrayal.

"Don't you want to finish talking about our little puppy?" she suggested.

"Mmmm... I do... I guess... But it's a lot less funny..."

As an answer, Korra hummed. She leaned over Asami once more to kiss her heavily but sweetly.

"Do you really think you can take this away from her?" she finally uttered.

"Take what away?" the businesswoman asked, unable to follow the turn the conversation had taken.

Korra kissed her again, with a chaste but insistent kiss.

"Sweet lips."

She kissed her on the cheek.

"A soft skin."

Then she kissed her again, passing a hand behind her back under her clothes.

"A gentle warmth... A little love in short."

"It wasn't my attention," the businesswoman said.

"But if she took it badly, she thought you didn't trust her enough to have all this."

"Perhaps…"

"You still don't want to talk to her?"

"Even though I'm not mad at her anymore, she's still hurt me. And I'm not going to talk to her as long as she's pouting at me."

"Fine," Korra sighed. "I'll go see her..."

She kissed Asami on her forehead and went up to Isolina's room. She knocked lightly before entering. She found the girl sitting on her bed, looking at her purple bear she had since she was five years old. It was old and falling apart a little; she usually kept it as an old relic, but from time to time she took it out, taking refuge in another distant and quiet world to which no one had access.

"Hi, little puppy," Korra said as she entered.

"Hi," Isolina replied, emotionless.

"So... I've been told you had an argument with your mother?"

"Yeah, something like that..."

"She didn't want to hurt you, you know," she said, sitting down on the girl's bed.

"I know, I know. She's always like that, worrying about everything..."

"It's because she loves you."

"I know…"

"And I know it's sometimes a pain in the ass, I'm the first one to tell her."

"That's not even what the problem is!"

"What is it then?"

"I don't know..." Isolina replied, lamely.

Korra didn't answer immediately, observing her daughter's dismay. She looked like a little puppy who knew it had made a mistake and squeaked with its ears down... At least, if she felt guilty, they could fix things. Even if not knowing the heart of the problem was a little problematic...

"Don't you think you're a little hard on her?" she replied.

"I don't know…"

"You hurt her a bit, you know..."

"Yes, I realized it when I said it..." she sighed. "It just came out, I was angry."

"Well, and you didn't think about apologizing?"

"Later."

"Ok... you come downstairs to get something to eat?"

"Not tonight."

"Fine."

Korra proceeded going out and closing the door, when Isolina called her back:

"Mom!"

"Yes?"

"Is Mum still angry?"

"No, not really."

"I'll go talk to her earlier, then."

"I wanted to take Naga out for a walk, so you could take advantage of it."

"Ok, thank you."

—

Asami heard someone knock at the door of her room. Since Korra went out, she suspected Isolina to be this someone. She hesitated to raise her head from her book—which she hadn't read much of since the argument—and ended up looking at the door, seeing a small head appear behind it.

"Come in," she told her.

Isolina entered, then closed the door, looking at her feet.

"Did you want something?" Asami asked, pretending not to know why she was there.

"I'm sorry... about you not being my mother thing... I didn't think what I said."

"I know. And I'm sorry for making you angry. That's not what I wanted. I just wanted us to talk."

Isolina nodded, showing that she had understood. She looked up at her mother, who was looking at her with her soft, loving gaze. She was instantly relieved.

"Well, and will you be willing to talk to me now?" Asami asked.

"About Chitra again?" she growled.

"About Chitra again."

"What is there really to say?"

"Come and sit down."

Isolina sat down and Asami started playing with her hair, as she did when she was little. It didn't bother the girl. Actually, it even soothed her. She knew that was why her mother was doing it so that she would be more conciliatory, but who cares?

"They are damaged, you'll have to cut them," the green-eyed woman informed her.

"You could do it..."

"I'm not presumptuous enough to do this."

She let a moment pass, before resuming talking about what she really wanted to talk about during their dispute:

"I was talking to you about your relationship with Chitra, because you spend a lot of time together and she's a little older than you. I'm afraid you don't necessarily have the same desires... And I don't want you to find yourself in a situation you didn't want."

"Oh... you mean... _that_..."

"Yes, that... You talked about it?"

"She does, sometimes."

"And you don't?"

"Not... too much..." she hesitated, unable to really lie.

"You don't want to talk about it because I'm your mother?"

"Yeah... a little..."

"To be quite honest, if it's as serious as you said, necessarily at one time or another... But I find you a little young... You're in high school yes, but you still skipped two years."

"How old were you when..."

"17."

"And Mom?"

"21."

"21? But that's like… late!"

"Well, your mother has only had two relationships in her life... So, it's not as if they were many opportunities."

"But 21, that's when... you got together, right?"

"Yes."

"Oh. But hadn't she dated Mako before?"

"She did. But they didn't go that far."

"I find that weird."

"It's not that weird. You have to be comfortable with your partner. And Korra and Mako... it was rather stormy. The context didn't really help: Korra had to take care of the spirits and a war at that time, and she kept traveling. Anyway, I'm not sure she would be very happy to know that we're talking about her love and sex life behind her back."

Isolina nodded.

"And I also understand that you don't like that," Asami said. "But... just be careful? I know that if it's with a girl there is no risk for you to get pregnant but..."

"Mum!" the girl was offended.

"What? Hey, it does happen! And then, if one day you want to go out with a boy... Do you think it could happen one day?"

"Maybe…"

Asami made up her mind because of this "maybe". If she really was serious about Chitra, she would not have imagined anything else, she would have argued that she was the love of her life, or whatever you could say when you were deeply in love with someone. First loves often have this passionate and eternal aspect and that was not what she sensed when it came to her daughter.

Maybe it wasn't the first... Maybe she was curious... Yet she said the opposite. She was hiding something, but she didn't know exactly what. And she knew that she couldn't look deeper into it: she wouldn't learn anything more and would end up just set her daughter against her. So the best thing to do was to let her do what she wanted while watching from afar.

"Well... if it ever happens to you one day, please, be careful," she asked. "It's not bad if it happens, but you have to be ready to take care of the child afterwards. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Good."

She let go of her daughter's hair, freeing her from her grip. Isolina got up to leave the room.

"Isolina," Asami called her back.

The girl turned around, wondering what she wanted again, and hoping it was not about continuing the conversation.

"Come and hug me?"

"Muuuum," the blue-eyed girl growled.

"Please. For your old mother."

Isolina took a few steps back to hug her mother. Once she was settled peacefully against her shoulder, she uttered an imperceptible sigh of contentment, her body relaxed a little; yes, she was good.

Asami felt it, and she knew that deep down Isolina had nothing against cuddling and that she still liked having this closeness, this comfort that she had demanded so much when she was a child. She grumbled because of her age. It was a kind of adolescent pride and insolence but it didn't match her deep inner feeling: she felt good and safe in her mother's arms.

"It's not true, you're not old," Isolina said.

The green-eyed woman laughed.

"You grow up, I get old, it's the order of things. But, you're right, I'm not bedridden yet, so let's consider that I'm not very old."

At that moment, Korra arrived, smiling at the picture before her eyes. Apparently, they had reconciled...

"Oh, it's hugging time?" she asked. "Cool, can I join in?"

"Of course!" Asami said.

"No!" Isolina said at the same time.

But it was too late, the Avatar had taken her in her arms and she was stuck between her two mothers.

"Mum, Mom!" she snarled again.

The two women laughed and kissed her as the girl struggled against all these signs of affection.

"You're exaggerating!" she scolded.

"That way you won't forget that we love you," Korra justified.

"With all our heart," Asami added.

They smiled then and Isolina sighed.

"I know, I know. Can you let me go now?"

Finally, the two women let the teenager go, but she stopped on the doorstep, looking at them one last time.

"Mum, Mom?"

They turned around, slightly worried about the airy and timid nervousness in her voice.

"I love you too," Isolina said, smiling discreetly.

"This would be worth another hug!" Korra joked.

"No!" the girl exclaimed.

And she fled, hearing her mothers' laughs behind her. But deep down, she was smiling. She was smiling because they could say anything they wanted about her or her mothers, her family was great and she loved it.

* * *

What she didn't like, though, was all those trips that still happened from time to time. She was left alone then. Well, alone... She was still staying on Air Temple Island and it wasn't going to change anytime soon because now that she was with Chitra Asami was a little more reluctant to leave her alone at home.

But Isolina didn't care. She liked being on Air Temple Island. That way, she could stay with Reena, whom she didn't see as much as when they were very little. She missed it sometimes. But when she returned to the Temple, during those few days, everything was back the way it was before. Or almost. Regardless she was very happy in those moments, especially on weekends. No school, no idiots, no classmates or bothering teachers, just Reena and the people she had been with since childhood.

Actually, it was one of these moments: the week had just ended, and her mothers had been requisitioned. Korra had been optimistic and said that they would be back before the end of the weekend, Asami had contradicted her and instead bet that it would be for the beginning of the following week; Isolina trusted Asami's approximations more than Korra's: they were more often accurate.

As a result, very early on Saturday morning, she was taken to the Air Temple Island. She had been welcomed as if she had always lived there, as if she had only been on a journey for some time. Immediately, she joined Reena, who brightened with a smile when she saw her. She was with her sister. They seemed to debate the content of a lesson.

So, Isolina joined them and she learned from Lanying that Reena was supposed to explain her History of Nations lesson to her, but that she didn't manage it really well. So, she asked Isolina to help her.

"Hey!" Reena grumbled. "I was about to figure it out!"

"You suck in History... You forget everything the second you learn it," her sister said.

"That's not true!"

"Oh yes, it is," Isolina interjected.

"Traitor."

Lanying and Isolina shared an amused look, then they just ignored Reena as Isolina explained the lesson to her sister. The airbender grumbled again, but the two girls ignored her—secretly enjoying the fact that she was so irritated.

Hardly had Isolina finished her explanation that Reena took her to her room so that they could spend some time together, away from her sister and her brother.

"Are you sleeping here?" the airbender asked.

"Yes."

"How long?"

"Mom said one night, Mum more."

"So, more."

"Yes."

They laughed together. They were too used to it.

They spent some time sharing stories: what had happened to them at school, what had happened to their friends, teachers, and various rumors. Isolina generally avoided talking about Chitra. She didn't like it, and she had the vague feeling that Reena didn't like her anyway. So, no need to cause unnecessary discord.

Interrupting them, Lanying took part in their conversation.

"What are you talking about?" she said, settling on her sister's bed.

She was immediately jostled by her.

"Big girls' stuff. Go play somewhere else."

"Hey, it's not fair! I'm hardly any younger than Isolina and I can never participate in your conversations!"

"This is my room, my best friend, can't we be alone like two minutes?"

"You're always alone in this room to talk without me coming..."

"It doesn't concern you."

Reena finally pushed her sister out of the room.

"It sure hides something!" she says. "Are you sure she's just your best friend?"

"Don't be stupid."

"Who knows…"

"Isolina, tell her!" Reena called for help.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Lanying, but I already have someone," Isolina said with a faint wave of her hand and a slight smile.

"Which doesn't stop things from happening!"

"Oh, shut up and go out!"

Reena ended up putting her completely out and closing the door.

"You secretive little thing!" her sister shouted on the other side.

"Go away!"

When she was sure Lanying had left, she sat down on the bed next to her best friend with a long sigh.

"It would be nice if she stopped dropping hints, huh? It must be a little embarrassing for you, given that with Chitra..."

"Actually, I don't mind."

Reena raised a questioning eyebrow.

"She's not here as far as I know," Isolina merely replied, to justify.

"Uh... I know, but..."

"So, you were saying that you did put ink on the math teacher's chair?"

"Well, he was wearing black pants, so it wasn't very funny..."

Reena seemed to forget the rest of the sentence that she had not finished and continued the conversation that her sister had interrupted, as if nothing had happened.

She pretended she had forgotten, but not really. She had just learned to respect the limits that Isolina set. Besides, annoying Chitra—even if it was only in thought—pleased her far too much for her to continue the conversation. She found Isolina strange when it came to this girl, though... She couldn't help but think about it. But maybe it was just an impression. Or maybe love had that kind of effects. Not that she would know, she only had friends.

Finally, the subject wasn't brought back in their conversation, and so the day ended. It was time to go to bed. Isolina still slept with Reena, so they were still teased by Lanying (who definitely didn't get tired of it). So her big sister just ran after her and told her to stop, while Isolina laughed at their little quarrel.

Then, finally, they were alone. Although there was a second bed in the room, Isolina rarely, if ever, used it. Likewise, that night she slipped under the covers with Reena.

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" the latter asked, worried.

"Yes, why? It's... does it bother you?"

"Oh, no, no, not me!"

"What's the problem then?"

"Well, since Chitra..."

"Again?"

"What 'again?'?"

"Why do you care so much for her? I thought you didn't like her?"

"Yes, well, I don't like her! But since you go out with a girl and sleep with another girl, it's weird... no?"

"Again: she's not here, so don't worry, she won't be jealous or dump me because of that. Secondly, we've been doing this since we were very small... Then, if it bothers you because I'm going out with a girl and... you're scared..."

"Of course not! You're my best friend. I know you wouldn't do that."

"I know."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"Are you planning to sleep?" Isolina asked, a little amused.

"Wh... err... Yes!"

The young waterbender chuckled as the green-eyed girl slipped under the covers. Then, she joined her, resting her head on her shoulder and sighing imperceptibly.

"Good night, Reena."

"Good night, Isolina…"

They fell asleep quickly, at least as far as Reena was concerned. It took Isolina a little longer, but she eventually got swallowed by sleep too.

—

She was screaming. It hurt. So bad. Her back. It was as if they were cutting her flesh.

"No, stop! "

She prayed, begged, but nothing helped. Suddenly, the door opened abruptly. A blond little girl came into the room, looking defiant and brave.

"Leave her alone!"

"Kill her."

"Lochan, no!"

She reached for her, but it was too late, she was liquefying, a knife in her abdomen. She had disappeared, the sound of the knife echoed through the room.

"No!"

The whip slammed again.

—

A sudden breath. Isolina opened her eyes suddenly. Black, everything was black, totally black. Light. The moon. The moon was three-quarter illuminated, the stars shone in the dark night.

Oh, a nightmare. It was just a nightmare. She began to control her breathing, taking quick breaths of oxygen, closing her eyes and refocusing on herself as she had been taught. Soon enough, she calmed down, the ghost of pain she had on her back diminished, the pain in her heart however was a little longer to disappear.

She opened her eyes, looked around, remembering where she was. Her eyes fell on the person sleeping next to her. Reena... She watched her sleep, unable to discern anything other than her figure. She wondered if she had screamed in her sleep, if she had woken her up; it didn't look like it but it had happened many times. So, she wanted to check.

"Reena, are you sleeping?" she whispered.

No answer. Well, yes, she certainly was... She wasn't going to comfort her as before. But what was like before, really?

The blue-eyed girl sat up, supporting herself with her elbow. She looked at the sleeping figure of her best friend. She leaned a little on her, looking for her warmth and smell, her imperceptible support. She wanted to hug her, but she knew she was going to wake her up.

She felt her deep, steady breath playing with her hair, caressing her cheek, kissing hers... She was sleeping... If she only did it once, it wasn't so bad, was it? She was sleeping... She would never know it. After that, it would disappear.

Her pale hand floated over the sleeping girl's face, her fingers brushing against her lips... She was still sleeping.

"Please, don't wake up..." she begged, whispering.

Then she gently put her lips on hers, the contact making her inevitably sigh. Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest. It deafened her with terrible and unachievable claims, contradictory as well. She wanted Reena to wake up. She didn't want her to wake up. She wanted her to ask her what she was doing. She wanted her to never know. She wanted to tell her the truth, to lie to her.

However, she was still sleeping. Then, Isolina took back her initial position, contemplating her as she was caught in the nets of sleep.

Really, you… she thought.

Her hand, which had remained on Reena's cheek, slid down her neck, traced her collarbone, fell from that bone, to go lower, to further explore her skin.

"Why it couldn't be you?" she said to herself.

Suddenly, she froze as if a sudden realization hit her.

What am I doing? she thought.

She couldn't let her feelings anesthetize her. They were going to make her do anything! She was going to lose her. She couldn't lose her.

She removed her hand from Reena's skin, bitterly ashamed of what she was doing. Kissing and touching her while she was sleeping? Really, what was going on in her head? She couldn't do that to her. She would never do that to her.

Reena was right after all... Sleeping together was a bad idea from now on.

She got up then, took a few steps towards the other bed, slipping under the cold and so unwelcoming blankets. She hated that. But she had no choice. She knew that Reena would always consider her as her best friend. It would be no use to complicate things. She had to take even more distance.

"What are you doing?" a sleepy voice asked, making her jump.

"Nothing..." she lied, calmly. "I didn't want to wake you up..."

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yes... But it's nothing. I'm just going to sleep here."

"You're sure?"

"I am."

"All right... Okay... Good night..."

"You too…"

Reena got back to sleep quickly, while Isolina's heart was beating faster than ever. She almost was caught red-handed. She curled up in the blankets, clutching her pajamas at her chest as if she could pull out that heart that was hurting too much and making too much noise. She sighed.

She had to be careful. She would never know. One day, she wouldn't like her anymore. She was sure of it. She would do whatever it took for that.

* * *

Isolina walked. She stopped right in front of Chitra's locker behind her. She seemed to be looking for something inside.

"It's okay, we can do it," she told her.

The girl slowly took her head out of the locker and looked at Isolina with a frown, perplexed. What was she telling her? Like first thing in the morning? No 'Hey, hello, how are you?'?

She looked at her and noticed the proud, stubborn look she had, but her eyes betrayed her. There was a bit of agitation in them. Finally, after a few seconds, Chitra finally found the conversation she was referring to.

"Wait, how's that? Why so suddenly?"

"Why do you care? Is it yes or no?"

"Do you want to come to my house or...?"

"At your place, yes..."

"Um... Is there a particular moment that suits you?"

"Wait... my birthday. After my birthday."

"As you wish."

"You do remember the condition, right?"

"Yes, I promise you that I won't even try to touch it. Cross my heart and hope to die!"

She took a falsely solemn posture by saying that, one hand on the heart and the palm of the other hand up and clearly visible, while almost rolling her eyes.

"Good," she said.

She will never let anyone know, never anyone see. She wouldn't stand it. No, it didn't exist anymore.

Chitra looked at her strangely, raising an eyebrow. Then she shrugged and put her head back in her locker.

"You're really weird a girl..." she said.

Maybe... Maybe she was weird. Deep down, was it any important? People liked her anyway, right? That was enough for the friends... And Reena...

Anyway. Reena was her best friend, she had always accepted everything about her, even her quirks. If only... But no, she had to stop hoping to believe in it. It was impossible.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you had fun! And also that it's a little but mysterious and interesting since I still have some little things to settle for Isolina. Thank you for reading! And it would be great if you left a review!**

 **See you soon! (Or at least sooner than last time xD)**

 **Lion**

* * *

 **Answers reviews "guest":**

 **GuestMcCarry:**

 **Hey !**

 **I'm glad you liked last chapter! Also, sorry if I didn't satisfy your curiosity. I guess I just felt like it was logical that they would be jailed forever. Like Zaheer x) I should make them meet and they'll die sooner :p**

 **I hope you'll keep liking the way Reena and Isolina's relationship develops!**

 **Thank you for your review and I'll see you later!**

 **Guest-who-has-no-name-but-it's-a-shame** **:**

 **Hey!**

 **So… Hi, you who left such a positive and heart-warming review! I don't know what to say… I'm deeply moved you noticed all those things. Um, so, yeah, I'm still posting. I'll be posting until the end.**

 **I like how you find this story realistic because I really try my best so that it looks like it!**

 **I must say, I'm kinda proud about the story of P'li :D So, I'm really happy you liked it!**

 **The hints were really hard. I was always afraid to say too much. Plus, the story wasn't really well planned, but I'm glad it looks like it x) I just like to make it coherent. Now, I'm actually curious where you saw the hints for the thunder and the ice wall… Either I don't remember (which really possible), or you're overestimating me (also quite possible). But the tree! Haha, gosh, you noticed the tree! You don't know how happy I am just because of that x) I had like this scene in chapter 23 and I was like "why the hell Isolina would climb a tree…" I'm glad it worked well for you! And also, you're like the first one who seem pleased with the relationships between Korra and Isolina and Asami and Isolina. I really wanted them to be both important, but as you say, they are very distinct. I'm glad you can see that this distinction is nothing bad but it's all the contrary.**

 **Anyway, I really, really thank you so much! It was one of the most beautiful review I've ever had and it made me very happy. I hope you'll see this message and that I'll see you again!**

 **Lion**


	27. Relationship issues — Part 1

**A/N: Hi, everyone!**

 **Here is the new chapter. I think some of you waited for this moment ;)**

 **Thanks again to my beta to make the text flow a little better.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Hearing her friend and her boyfriend chuckling was starting to annoy her a little. Actually no, she was already really pissed off and it had been quite a while now. Be the third wheel didn't suit her. Not at all! Especially since it wasn't originally planned like that...

She glanced at Isolina and the guy (because, even if she knew he had a name, she considered it too much of an honor to use it) who was clinging to her, getting even more irritated. He caressed her and put his hands where he shouldn't considering that she was next to them and that they were somehow in the street. (Well, she knew that the back of the Sato mansion was not necessarily very exposed, but still!) Isolina shoved him a little with a "Stop, not now" which was a little too jokingly for her taste.

What an asshole. She'd better kick him in the butt and never see him again. And if Isolina didn't dare, Reena would be happy to do it for her. But the thing is, he was her boyfriend, so she was theoretically not allowed to intervene. Except that it was starting to be downright unbearable for her, and she came to think of some _solutions_ that she had dismissed for some time out of fear of hurting Isolina. But she wondered if it wouldn't be worse not to talk to her about it…

"Okay, I'll leave you two for a few minutes," the guy said. "I'm going to smoke a little."

"Ok," Isolina said, waving her hand as he walked away.

Then she saw that her friend was sulking a little, which she could understand.

"I'm really, really sorry, Reena! I swear, I didn't expect him to show up!"

"Not a reason to let him intrude on my time with you."

"He's my boyfriend, what did you want me to do? Send him home?"

"Yes! It would have saved me from having to put up with seeing him groping you!"

"He means no harm... He's nice."

"He's an _asshole_! What do you think he's smoking right now?"

"He's still a nice boy…"

"No, he's a drug addict and a moron. Do you plan on staying with him even after high school?

"I don't know yet. It's none of your business anyway."

"Of course it is! Ever since you started dating people, I feel that you've just wanted to mess around with idiots. Let's see, there's the one who cheated on you, there's also the one who tried to use you to meet your mothers, oh and let's not forget this one who can't spend more than two hours without his drugs..."

"Oh, right, because you pretend you can do better perhaps?" Isolina lost patience.

"Of course I can!"

"Well, that's funny because I haven't seen you go out with anyone yet, and we can't say that there are not like a bunch of people who would throw themselves at your feet."

"That's not..."

She had understood her wrong. She couldn't do better that way... Oh, and just damn it...

She approached Isolina and hurriedly put her lips on hers. The latter was amazed, but didn't move. When Reena withdrew, she said to her:

"Better than them... I..."

She couldn't finish her sentence because of the slap that hit her face. And wow, it hurt... She held her cheek for a moment, looking at her friend who looked both hurt and astonished by what she had just done.

"I..." she started, looking with her teary eyes at her trembling hand.

She couldn't finish because her boyfriend returned.

"Are you having fun, girls?" he asked, completely high and therefore unable to realize the tension that finely linked the two of them.

He didn't wait for an answer and took Isolina by the waist before kissing her without restraint. The latter glanced at her friend, and Reena didn't really know if she was doing that to annoy her, humiliate her, or any other reason, but she knew that she was clenching her teeth and fists, attacked by this insolent glance.

You bitch, she thought.

"I'm leaving," she said, turning around and running away.

She couldn't hear behind her, Isolina, who was trying to distance herself from her boyfriend and call her, without real success. She could only sigh with a "Shit..." before her boyfriend started to assault her with too many unwelcomed signs of tenderness.

For her part, Reena regretted coming. Especially since she came in civilian clothes: no airbending suit, no kite, no flying bison. Therefore, she had to cross the whole city on foot or maybe try taking the roofs, but in her state, she would have preferred to avoid it. In fact, she only wanted one thing: to go home calmly and never think again about the asshole that was Isolina's boyfriend or what she had just done.

She knew it. She just knew she should have never told her. Theoretically, she hadn't said anything—she hadn't had the time—but she had kissed her! It was worse! But what had gotten into her, really... Jealousy made her do foolish things... and she was not proud of herself.

"Reena?" a voice called out to her.

Let's see, Asami driving back home after work… It was just her luck. She quickly wiped her eyes, which were filled with tears, but not quickly enough for the green-eyed woman not to notice.

"Hi! How are you?" the airbender asked with a false enthusiasm.

"I'm fine…" Asami muttered, doubtful. "And you?"

"Perfectly fine! I was going home!"

"Weren't you supposed to spend the day with Isolina today? I thought you were staying for supper."

"Uh, nope! Well, in fact, there were some changes in the plans! Her boyfriend is here, I don't want to intrude. So, here I am, going home."

"Should I drop you off?"

"Oh, no, it's just a bit of a walk..."

"Let me insist."

Well... It was Asami... And this way, she would go home faster. She would surely be questioned, but she didn't have to tell the truth.

So she got into the car and looked out the window while she was driving.

"You should put some ice on it," Asami uttered

"Huh?"

"On your cheek. It's red. I assume Isolina slaped you."

"Oh... Yeah... I mean, no! I mean, it's okay, it's not her fault..."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No…"

Finally, Asami parked.

"What are you doing?" Reena asked, seeing her chances of going home quickly disappear.

"I thought we could eat ice cream!"

She got out, tucking her head into the car again only to say:

"Are you coming?"

Reena sighed but got out of the car. All in all, it was a very bad idea to let Asami drop her off… For several tens of minutes, if not hours, she would have to suffer the older woman trying to figure out what was going on.

Finally, the woman and the girl sat down in a corner, inside an ice cream parlor with white tables and chairs. Asami took the opportunity to ask for ice cubes and a container for Reena's cheek, and applied it on her without hesitation.

"It's cold!" the girl complained.

"And necessary. She doesn't look like it but Isolina hits hard... I don't want it to swell..."

They stayed like that for a while, then Reena began to apply the ice herself and Asami ate her ice cream.

"Still don't want to tell me why she hit you?" Asami asked.

"Why do you absolutely want to know?"

"She's my daughter, and I would like to know why she hit her best friend, whom I've always considered a bit like my niece since she was very young."

Reena chuckled.

"How nice of you, _auntie_ ," she laughed.

"How was Tan?"

"Sticky and high..." she said bitterly.

"That's the problem with this boy," Asami sighed.

"How come you don't do anything? Usually you would make a scene for something like that!"

"Mmmm... I tried, but let's say that if I meddle in Isolina's love affairs, we always end up fighting. So it was either I trust her with her decisions—even if I don't like them at all—or she stops talking to me. And it turns out that the second option is not possible. So as long as they don't hurt her and don't get her into trouble, I guess it's bearable..."

"She's being a fool..."

Reena felt anger and grief come back to her, drowning her again. So, she ate her ice cream to distract herself. She should have taken another flavor. Apple. She had always found it tasteless. But she hadn't paid attention, she had just accepted Asami's request.

"What do you think of Isolina's relationships?" the businesswoman asked. "Since you're a friend, you may have a different point of view than a parent."

"She deserves better... All she always succeeds in doing is having numbskulls clinging to her and ending up hurting her."

"Yes, but strangely, she doesn't care a bit, don't you think?"

"I don't know... I just know that she's dating idiots who don't deserve her."

"I see…"

Asami thought and scrutinized Reena. She had the feeling that the truth was not so far away... Well, it was double or nothing!

"Will you allow me to ask you one question?" she asked.

"Isn't that what you've been doing for a while now?"

"Yes, but I want you to answer this one sincerely and honestly. Just one. Do you think it's possible?"

"If it's again about what happened..."

"No, it's another one."

"Okay, go ahead then..."

Asami stepped forward, putting her elbows on the table, and anchored her emerald green look in the girl's eyes. A proud and determined look that made Reena shiver. She was starting to regret agreeing... She felt like she was not going to like it. At all.

"Do you have feelings for Isolina?" Asami finally said, without batting an eye.

"Wh-What? But... it's not..."

"Sincerely and honestly," the green-eyed woman reminded her.

Reena stared at her for a moment, speechless. She could lie, she hadn't really promised anything, but... she couldn't do that to Asami... And she thought she would manage not to talk about it... Waste of time. This woman was a demoness.

"Something like that..." she admitted reluctantly, groaning.

"I thought so," Asami said, resuming eating her ice cream and settling against the back of the chair. "So, did you tell her and she slapped you?"

"I... No... I... I kissed her..."

"Ah. Yes, this kind of method can have two effects, including this one. And now, what's the plan?"

"At the beginning, I just wanted to get back home and be left alone, feeling sorry for myself... Well, before you stepped in in any case…"

"This is a very bad plan."

"I can't really do anything else…"

"You could talk to her? Try to convince her?"

"What's the point? I'm her best friend… that's all. I don't even know if I can still be her best friend now…"

"Of course you can. Everything is not over yet!"

Reena looked at Asami, who felt compelled to justify:

"Korra was my best friend before we got together, and she still is today. Romantic love doesn't change that sort of things."

"The difference being that you are married and I just got turned down."

"You don't know if you got turned down. Maybe if you talk…"

"You really don't like this guy, do you?" Reena cut her off, raising an eyebrow.

"If I had to choose, I would rather her to be with you, actually... But that's not the point, because it's not my life, she's the one who chooses with whom she wants to be. The thing is, since Isolina started dating people... I've never seen her really shaken, in love. I wouldn't say she's suffering from her relationships either, because she chooses them, but… there's something off, I don't know what. I thought maybe it was because of her childhood... She's always been wary about people and how she trusts them..."

"Yeah, well, I got the feeling she was fine with giving her trust away... Or rather the others abuse her trust too much."

"Mmm... Are you sure it works that way and not the other way around?"

"The other way around?"

"Don't you think she could be the one using them?"

"What do you mean? Isolina's not like that..."

"I'm not so sure... She's not using them like you think, not like you think they use her."

"How then?"

"When you entered middle school, she was very angry with you for spending time with other classmates, you know. I was the one who advised her to let you go a little and to rely a little more on her friends. She did it and she got silent. Overnight, she stopped complaining. Don't you find it strange?"

"A little…"

"The relationships she has... I'm afraid they're all like that. It's to have someone, to count on someone, but she doesn't care if it stops. She has never been deeply moved, even in her romantic relationships. I can't even tell if it makes her a little bit happy. And this is where you step in!"

"Me?"

"You're her best friend, the one she trusts the most and who is unlikely to betray her or disappoint her any way, maybe she could open up a little more? And then, you've always been as thick as thieves since you were little... You would be good together, right?"

"That's what I thought too…"

Asami smiled, with a little too delighted and calculating smile for Reena. She sighed. Here she was, talking about everything she didn't want to talk about. How great.

"You're not going to say anything to Isolina, are you?" she checked. "Regarding our conversation."

"I don't know… It depends, are you going to talk to her?"

"I don't think so…"

"Then, I can't promise you anything."

"I thought you shouldn't meddle in your daughter's love affairs?"

"Oh, but this is different! I meddle in _your_ love affairs, it's only a pure coincidence that Isolina happens to be part of it."

Reena chuckled a bit—Asami really was incurable—before pulling herself together.

"Seriously, Asami, don't say anything to Isolina. I need a little time to be able to swallow all of this..."

"Okay, it's all right. But don't wait too long, she could fly away. Shall I take you home?"

The girl nodded. They greeted the people running the store, walked out, and left. Reena was finally able to go home, where she pondered Asami's words. If only she could make Isolina fall in love with her...

* * *

"Got you!

"Isolina? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you. I had to search all the hiding places on the island to find you, you know?"

Reena had been escaping from time to time for a few days, since the much talked about quarrel with Isolina in fact. She rediscovered these old hiding places that they used to talk when they were children.

This time, she hid in a sort of underground cave that was a little dark and damp from where you could see a small river flowing. She amused herself by wandering a stick on its liquid surface while remaining deep in her thoughts, worried about this same person who had just found 's just say that she had expected everything but that.

Isolina sat down next to her, remaining silent with her for a moment. Reena felt her stomach tighten. Should she say something? Should they pretend it didn't happen? What were Isolina's intentions?

"I'm sorry I slapped you..." she told her.

Erase. She was going to want to erase all of that. Surely. Maybe if she apologized too, they would be able to stay friends...

"It's okay... I'm sorry for... kissing you," she said bitterly.

"No! That's…"

She stopped herself in the middle of her sentence. Reena didn't really pay attention to it.

She didn't know what she was meaning to say, but the slap had spoken for itself. Another silence fell, and the airbender wondered why Isolina was staying. Hadn't she said everything she had to say?

"I broke up with Tan," she said finally.

Reena froze. She expected this even less. Did she have the right to feel a bit delighted and hopeful?

"You're not too sad?" she asked instead, as her best friend.

"No, I'm fine. I didn't like him that much..."

"Okay…"

She wanted to know more, so much more about the reasons, the consequences, about... did she have any part in this? And what did Isolina want to do now?

"Do you want to know why?" the latter asked.

"There is a why?"

Isolina nodded. Reena noticed it out of the corner of her eye.

"Go ahead, tell me."

The blue-eyed girl took a shaky breath before saying with an imperceptible smile full of tenderness:

"I fell in love with someone a long time ago. But since they didn't love me like that, I thought that I had to forget. So, I started going out with other people. It didn't work... I've never been able to forget..."

"Oh, I see…"

In the end, she was disappointed. So, Isolina was hiding behind shitty relationships, which she only hoped to get a temporary pleasure from because of a person she loved beyond reason? It meant she couldn't love her either... Who was that damn person? How could they ignore her all this time? She was mad at them. Really. To make her friend unhappy... She was on the verge of asking who they were to go and have a quick word with them about it. She could do it, couldn't she? No? Yes?

"If you could see your face," Isolina said, mocking her a little.

"What? Seriously, who could not love you? Can't I be a little angry with this person?"

"Reena. Look at me."

Reluctantly, she did what her friend told her. The second after, two lips were on hers and her heart was threatening to fly away between two heretical beats.

"It was you," Isolina said.

"What? What do you mean 'it was me'?" Reena asked. She had completely lost track of the conversation.

"The one I've been in love with for a very long time. It's you."

"But... why didn't you tell me? Wait, wait, another question first: why did you slap me?"

"I... um... I didn't really think about what I was doing back then..."

" _That's_ _your excuse_?"

"Hey, you're sweet, but do you have any idea of how hard I tried to be just your friend? When you kissed me... I didn't know what to do. It was as if everything I had done so far had been useless! How did you want me to react?"

"By hurting me less. If possible…"

Isolina burst out laughing. Yes, she could certainly have done that... But she couldn't really control her instincts. Everything had got mixed up in her head. All the things she had buried deep inside her, all the things that devoured her intensely from the inside, had suddenly come back and she had even been afraid of having giving in herself! She hadn't rejected Reena that day... She had rejected her own feelings instantly as if she was the one who had kissed her best friend.

"I told you I was sorry!" she said.

"Oh, but you will have to do much better than that to make me forgive you!"

Reena approached Isolina's still-laughing face, on which appeared a touch of seriousness.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Yes."

So this time—with no surprise from either of them—they kissed a little longer but still fairly chastely. It was enough for now.

When it was over, Reena took Isolina in her arms, hugging her tightly. She was happy, really happy, at the same time too enthusiastic and lulled by a tender calm.

"I will do better than them," she told her. "I promise."

"I know…"

* * *

In high school, everyone quickly learned about the breakup between Isolina and Tan, which earned a lot of bad-mouthing concerning the two of them. Isolina was used to saying nothing. She didn't care a bit. She also didn't care about the false concern of her friends, the absolutely depressed looks on their face when what had happened was brought up. Besides, even them didn't know why they put on the act, because Isolina wasn't sad at all. She was distracted from time to time. But then again... she seemed to be thinking about something that pleased her rather than a breakup, so much that it started gossiping about a possible new relationship.

The blue-eyed girl was informed of these rumors. She kept a close eye on them. Much as she hadn't cared a bit when her relationships with Chitra, Tan, or whoever else had been known, she wanted to keep her relationship with Reena a secret. To protect her. Reena was generally not involved in this kind of mess. As popular as she was, they generally avoided speaking ill of her. She was esteemed and respected. You could say that her good humor was contagious. And Isolina didn't want to contaminate this good humor that kept her away from being the subject of gossips with her own reputation which had clearly nothing glorious.

The problem being that the aforesaid person was not aware of the efforts she was making. She met her much more than usual and Reena stayed with her and her friends when she would never have done that before. Fortunately, being unaccustomed to being in a relationship, she avoided displays of affection. But you could see her look. And her look... Isolina wanted to cover her with kisses just by seeing her sweet and loving look, her childish excitement, her overflowing affection, sometimes accompanied by a very slight blush.

The waterbender knew that she particularly noticed this because she was deeply in love with Reena, but she suspected that people were going to notice too and they would start gossiping. Especially since everyone knew that Isolina and Reena were childhood friends. And before you know it, it would be Isolina's fault because she "corrupted" her, or people would say that maybe they had been doing weird stuff with each other since they were very little, or... No, it would necessarily go wrong. So... she had to talk to Reena.

One day when she was particularly clingy, the bell rang and she used this opportunity to take her aside. They were going to be late, but it didn't matter. She pulled her by the arm in a somewhat remote place, where she knew that no one would see them.

"You should be more careful," she scolded her.

"Careful about what?" Reena asked, confused.

"Us. Our relationship. I don't know if you realize it, but you're almost transparent. They'll find out that we're dating."

"And so ?…"

"We can't let them know."

"Why? You've already dated a girl, what's different now?"

"I've already dated a girl, right. But it wasn't you."

"How am I supposed to understand that?"

"Reena... You know that I love you, but you don't have a label yet. Even when you just date a girl some people aren't really nice, but you go out with _me_..."

"But why does it matter? I don't care what others say! I love you, not them!"

"I know, I know, but... Trust me with this. Please. I just don't want my bad reputation to rub off on you... You could lose your friends."

"Come on, you don't have such a bad reputation..."

"Oh no, that's because you don't listen enough to gossips. I can tell you for sure that if people who talk were to be believed, I would appear to be the worst."

"Like?"

"Right now, I'm the drugged lesbian who took advantage of Tan to have drugs without her mothers noticing. And they also believe that I was cheating on him with someone. Which is not terribly wrong when you think about it…" she thought before resuming. "But you see, if they learn that I'm with you... All of this will fall on you. It's not what I want. Do you understand?"

Reena looked at Isolina and her deeply worried—overly-worried—look skeptically. The more she thought about it, the more she had a sense of déja vu…

"Do you know who you remind me of?" she finally blurted out after a few seconds of silence and thinking.

"No? Who?"

"Asami."

"Why?"

"You both worry too much for pretty much nothing…"

"Hey! You can't compare me to my mother! I'm not that bad… It's serious!"

"Huh huh... Well, anyway, you don't have paparazzi at home, huh?"

"No…? Why?"

"Well, all the time that I won't spend with you in high school, I will catch up by stopping by as often as possible!"

Isolina chuckled. That was Reena. Always a back-up solution and flawless optimism.

"It would make me very happy," she admitted with a smile, her heart swollen with a kind of tender shyness.

"Well, that's it, problem solved!"

The airbender exaggeratedly checked that there was no one in the corridors— obviously there was no one, everyone was in the class — making Isolina giggle. Delighted to have won this cute little laugh, she smiled, then gently put her lips on hers. She withdrew when she felt a cool hand slip on her neck.

"Wait," her girlfriend demanded.

She looked her in the eyes with that intense and deep blue look that Reena was just getting to know, to recognize. But she couldn't contemplate this burning swell any longer, because Isolina closed her eyes, drawing her to her. Her lips osculated the blue-eyed girl's hungry mouth. She was surprised by her ardor, her greed: her hand on her cheek had ended on her shoulder, her two arms behind her neck as she hugged her terribly against her, her mouth almost melting in hers.

The airbender had been slightly destabilized when the other girl had jumped on her. She had grasped her hips to regain her balance. Finally out of breath, she broke the kiss.

"Wow..." she let out, before teasing her. "Are you _that_ frustrated?'

Isolina said nothing, she just took a step back.

"Are you sure you're going to handle almost not seeing me on week days?" Reena continued sarcastically.

Isolina laughed a little. A little falsely.

"I think I can manage. You should go to class."

"Yep. See you later. "

She pecked her one last time on her lips before leaving. Isolina pretended that she was also going to her classroom but stopped after a few steps. She looked back and saw that Reena was out of sight.

So she let her body slide against the wall, letting her fiery breath escape with deep breaths. She put a trembling hand to her lips while the other tightly clutched the fabric of her chest where her heart was beating frantically.

A simple kiss... With a simple kiss, she already felt her body asking for more, she felt a painful fever take hold of her.

"And shit..." she said to herself.

She did her best to get the idea out of her head and control her legs so they would go to class (not after Reena).

And Reena who wanted to come to her house...

Easy. She promised herself to take it easy. Reena was not like that. Above all, she shouldn't rush things. But what would she do if her desires started to rush her? They thought they were free, indomitable and invincible. However, she was going to have to silence them.

I'll manage, she decided, before going back to class.

Anyway, she had no choice. She needed time. More time. She couldn't let her see.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, what about leaving a review? I'd like that!**

 **I hope you liked this chapter. I'm currently working on the next chapter, which is super long. You should encourage me to finish the translation for you guys :p**

 **See you next month! (A little sooner if I finish before, but I have little hope…)**

 **Lion**

 **P.S. : We should end this story when we arrive at chapter 29. I might write a bonus afterwards. I have some ideas, but I need more time, and of course, it's only if you want to. Don't hesitate to tell me, I'm always happy to hear your thoughts :)**

* * *

 **Answers reviews guest:**

 **Guest** **(1):**

 **Hi!**

 **Thank you very much for your review! Um… I have no idea if we've already met? It's a shame you didn't put a name :/**

 **Anyway, you got it about Isolina's intentions. I have no idea if it's against the law. Where I live it's not. Might be in other countries. I didn't really take it into consideration for this story because it's… not really important?**

 **(Korra and Asami's first time is more a foolish idea of mine. I have no idea how it really happened, I just think it could have the potential to be quite humorous xD)**

 **Um… I do think she knows how her mothers got together. She did say something about it last chapter.**

 **I hope I did answer you well. Don't hesitate to ask! See you later!**

 **Lion**

 **Guest** **(2):**

 **Hi!**

 **You might be right, but that wasn't the focus of the story. I did want other characters to intervene but the story was already really long and I couldn't afford lots of complications. Let's say I followed my first plan and it was already pretty dense. I didn't have enough time to think of a more complex story, plus it wasn't my purpose.**

 **Thank you for telling me what you feel about this story. It means a lot. I hope you'll enjoy the last chapters as well!**

 **See you!**

 **Lion**

 **Guest** **(3):**

 **Hi!**

 **Thank you very much for your comment! Actually, I didn't think about it… It's quite a good idea! I'll try to write it as a bonus, if you'd like? Thank you for sharing your idea!**

 **Hope to hear from you again and that you'll like the story nevertheless!**

 **See you!**

 **Lion**

 **Guest** **(4):**

 **Hi!**

 **Thank you for the review! Um, the comics are in the story but just by some hints. I don't get why I would work on them in this story in particular? And yes, I've read them. As for what I think about them, I'm not a big fan of Turf Wars mostly because I hate the art and Asami's role, which is just… Are we really going to talk about that 'damsel in distress' side they gave to her just because she's the Avatar's girlfriend? I would have a lot more to say (about the romance for example) but it would be quite long. As for Ruins of the Empire, I love it! Way more faithful to LoK and to the characters.**

 **Now, I have a question: just since you didn't use a nickname like the three others above, are you all the same person? I'm not used to that… Not that it matters, I'm just wondering.**

 **Hope to see you later!**

 **Lion**


	28. Relationship Issues — Part 2

**A/N: Hi everyone!**

 **Here is the new chapter, a little in advance because I wouldn't be easy for me to post in 4 days. Anyway. A few things before we start:**

 **/!\** **The chapter is rated M for security** **, even though I don't think it's that explicit. It's a heavy chapter: lots of emotions, bits of violence (not that much physical, though), and love and sweetness of course ;)**

 **/!\ The chapter is** **very long** **! (Don't read at work :p Just kidding.) That's why it was a bit cut and next chapter takes place directly after this one.**

 **Now, have a good read!**

* * *

"Hi, Asami!"

"Hi, Reena. She's in her room."

"OK, thanks!"

Reena was almost hopping while going to her girlfriend's bedroom. She walked past her mother who couldn't help but smile, as always.

Since Reena and Isolina had started dating, the young Airbender would often come to the mansion to join her beloved and spend time with her. She would spend the day there and leave in the evening, always full of enthusiasm and a smile on her face.

Isolina, on the other hand, expected to see her and greatly appreciated her visits. It was quite common to see a light smile discreetly lighting up her face because of a thought about her girlfriend. Her behavior, this behavior, was unlike anything Asami had ever seen concerning her daughter. And she was glad to see her finally wake up.

When she had been with the others, it always looked like those relationships ended as soon as they were out of sight. But Reena brought an unusual joy to the girl. She knew that this time, Isolina was very serious and that she could give her her uncovered heart. She also knew that Reena was serious, so she could only hope it would last.

Strangely, since she knew Reena so well, she didn't care at all about leaving her with her daughter, whether in her bedroom or elsewhere. It even appeased her somewhat. She trusted her and knew that Isolina was safe with her. So in short, she didn't meddle in their business.

Reena, for her part, had entered Isolina's room. She had slipped next to her on the bed, kissing her on the cheek. The blue-eyed girl smiled when she saw her.

"You okay?" she asked her.

"Always when I'm with you."

"Huh huh... Are you going to say romantic words to me all the time?"

"Only when they are true."

"You silly girl," she joked.

She kissed her very lightly.

"Will you allow me to finish my page?" she asked.

"Mmm... What are you reading?"

"Katara's biography."

"Why don't you ask Korra? Or Kya? Or Tenzin? It would be simpler, right?"

"She talks about healing processes a little more precisely in the biography. I'm more interested in her bending than in her privacy."

"Okay…"

Reena didn't try to debate any longer and decided to find a comfortable place instead. Which ended up being Isolina's legs, which she used as cushions. The waterbender laughed.

"Are you comfortable now? I don't bother you too much, right?" she joked, abandoning her book again to look at her girlfriend lying on top of her.

"No, you don't really bother me, don't worry..."

Then, Reena pretended to settle in more comfortably, rubbing against Isolina like a purring cat. The blue-eyed girl laughed again.

"I feel like I'm going to have a hard time finishing this page..."

"You don't have to finish it..."

Reena stood up. She straddled the other girl's legs, taking the book's place a bit as she set out to kiss her girlfriend. Isolina dropped the book to her legs, between their bellies, although she held it very tightly in her hands, almost twisting the cover.

Reena leaned forward again, one of her hand coming to take hers, intertwining their fingers, and the other landing on her hip. Isolina squeezed the book even more, trying to hold back a moan of satisfaction and even more her desire to stick to her and take possession of her mouth first, and then of her whole body.

"Reena… be careful…" Isolina said, a little embarrassed and looking away.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No, it's not that…"

Reena watched her girlfriend's eyes escape, frowning.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

"No it's just…"

Isolina sighed, before resuming, looking her in the eyes again:

"It's nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing. What's the matter?"

"I told you, it's nothing."

"But, Isolina…"

The blue-eyed girl silenced her with a kiss, before repeating with amusement:

"Since I'm telling you it's nothing."

"Okay..." the latter replied, not very convinced.

"Will you let me finish this page now?" she joked.

"No."

Isolina only managed to let out a brief sound of disapproval, because her girlfriend's mouth was already on hers and her tongue sliding against hers. She felt her hands on her neck, her thumbs on her cheeks, pulling her closer and closer. She gripped the other girl's clothes so tightly that she thought she was tearing them apart.

Out of breath, they broke the kiss. Isolina kept her eyes closed and tried to tame the heat that spread throughout her body. It was a little difficult as Reena hugged her.

"Isolina, I..." she started.

The end of that sentence never came. Instead, the young airbender's lips moved over the cheek of the blue-eyed girl before settling in the crook of her neck. Isolina gasped loudly when her lover tasted at her pale skin.

"Reena, wait!..." she became alarmed, pushing her away a little.

It was too much. She couldn't take it anymore. If she continued, she would no longer be able to control herself.

The young airbender looked at her questioningly.

"It's... Reena, if you keep going... I won't be able to restrain myself from touching you..."

"Okay, that's fine with me. This is what you want to do, right?"

"We don't have to…"

"I feel like you do this all the time," she cut her off, a little irritated.

"What?"

"You never try anything on me. You always keep yourself from even caressing me."

"I didn't want to go too fast. I know you've never dated anyone before. It's okay with me."

"You're lying. You... don't you want to do this with me?"

Isolina watched the slightly fragile and hurt look on the other girl's face. She sighed. It wasn't this. It wasn't this at all... But there was so much to think about. She knew Reena, she knew exactly how it was going to be, and she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to overcome a fear she had harbored for years.

She dropped her book, put her hand into her beloved's hair and placed a soft, tender kiss on her lips. She leaned against her, pushing her back and leaving her hand a little freer. So she allowed herself to go under the other girl's clothes, caressing her belly, running down her hip, running down her spine. She stopped there, hugging her, her lips against her collarbone.

"I want you," she breathed against her skin. "I really do... But now is not the time..."

Reena blushed a little, embarrassed by her girlfriend's confession. She didn't think Isolina was going to tell her that she wanted her. She was not used to it, it sounded strange to her. She wondered if Isolina had imagined, fantasized about this moment. Probably. She had thought about it herself…

"Why?" she asked, once she was able to regain consciousness.

Isolina laughed lightly.

"Too early?"

"I love you."

Isolina chuckled again.

"That is not all."

"Why?"

"You can love me and not want me. You may not want to touch me or not want me to touch you... It's different now..."

"Different?"

"We can no longer pretend to be friends…"

"Why on earth would we do that?"

"I don't want to lose you…"

"And you would lose me by sleeping with me?"

"If it doesn't work... between us... it could create a gap."

"Isolina, no one can be 100% sure that they will end their life with someone. Whether we stay that way or be more intimate, it doesn't change anything."

"My mothers are at home anyway. Now is not the time."

Reena frowned. The more she listened to Isolina, the more she felt like she was being evasive, that she was making excuses. She was hiding something from her, she was pretty sure of this. What she was wondering was what it was. There was little she didn't know about Isolina. Maybe she would be a little pretentious if she said that there was nothing she didn't know about her; except maybe her previous relationships, they hadn't really talked about it. And as always, she decided that she was going to find out what the problem was, whether Isolina liked it or not. (She never wanted to, but... normally, if she pushed her a little...)

So Reena shifted a bit and started kissing the blue-eyed girl who made a protest sound while she couldn't help but reply. She sighed ardently, as she dug her fingers into her skin as close as possible to her own body, attracting her, possessing her.

The airbender wrapped her arms around the other girl's shoulders, her fingers falling on the other girl's upper back. Then suddenly—she didn't really know why—she found herself on her back, both wrists pinned to the bed. Isolina was above her, her black hair falling on her cheek. She was out of breath. Different lights danced in her eyes. Reena didn't have time to try to figure out what they were; they disappeared and Isolina sighed.

"Stop it," she scolded gently. "I just told you that now was not the time."

"Because of Korra and Asami?"

"Among other stuff."

Reena hummed, pretending that she understood and that she was giving up. (She would never give up. But she wanted to pretend for a moment before counterattacking. She was just going to destroy Isolina's excuses one by one, since it was necessary.)

The young waterbender withdrew. She picked up her book, picked up her page, and tried not to meet her girlfriend's eyes. The latter sat cross-legged in front of her and waited. She thought for a moment, still trying to decrypt the other girl.

It had always been her favorite activity. Especially when it was successful. Even when they had been a little distant because of their so different friendly circles (and their different feelings, now she realized that), she had always tried to understand Isolina. She imagined that by understanding her, she could help her, assist her forever, protect her from the torments that had once agitated her mind. But in the end, she was unable to reconcile Isolina's refusal of intimacy and her passionate desire. It was completely opposite... It didn't make sense. There must have been something, but what?

Finally, Reena got up and started to leave the room.

"What are you doing?" Isolina asked, a little confused.

"Coming back," she said, with half of a smile.

Isolina frowned and tried to refocus on the book, something she absolutely couldn't do. Reena's departure troubled her. She freaked out a little. Maybe she had been a little too hard on her... Maybe she was too selfish and Reena needed to deepen their relationship. And who was she to refuse her?

She was struggling so much... She was hurt, tortured by her desires, torn apart by her apprehensions. She couldn't stop thinking about what she had just prevented. A happy disappointment danced in her heart. She groaned, dropping on her bed, the book on her face. How long was she going to last like this? How long were they going to last? Maybe Reena would agree to do as she wanted... Nah, really, she would ask too many questions...

—

Reena left Isolina's room and went to find Asami, who was apparently doing puzzles or something.

"Do you want to leave already?" the green-eyed woman asked, surprised to see her.

"Oh no, that's not it. I... uh, would it be possible not to come to Isolina's room for a while?"

Asami raised an eyebrow.

"Um, yes? I mean, it's not like we're the type to barge in her room all the time, so... I'm not sure I understand..."

"I mean, not come, even... well, whatever is going on. At a push, the best thing is certainly not to come near the room. Just to have a little... privacy?"

"Oh. Ooooh, okay, right. Uh... Do you want us to get out?"

"I don't want to kick you out..."

In fact, she wanted to kick them out. She readily admitted that she was exaggerating a little. Especially considering that it was to push Isolina to the limit, which would put her in an uncomfortable position. But at the same time, she couldn't resist her curiosity. But it was more than curiosity... It was an overwhelming need to know what was going on in her girlfriend's mind. When she knew, she could decide whether to drop it or help her.

"... but since Isolina told me that it bothered her..." the airbender ended.

"Ah, I see, that's understandable," Asami pondered. "The thing is, Korra is out right now, and... Oh, well! Here she is! Okay then, we'll be off!"

The raven-haired woman started to head for the exit, pushing her wife, who had just crossed the threshold, in order to make her come with her.

"Asami? But... wait, where are we going?" Korra complained, understanding absolutely nothing about the situation.

"I don't know, we'll figure it out the way! We just have to go."

"But why?"

"I'll explain later! Have fun!" Asami finished, winking at Reena.

She waved, a little amused by the situation. She was a little reckless, but Asami still greatly facilitated her task. She was pretty sure it would have been anyone else, she wouldn't have accepted so quickly. Being a childhood friend had some significant benefits. Well, she just had to find what Isolina was hiding now...

She started to be a little nervous too. What would happen once she got her answer? Were they going to... She had no doubts that Isolina wouldn't hesitate one moment. She had admitted it herself: she wanted her. But she... she was inexperienced and, she had to admit, a little lost.

She had always been excluded from this kind of conversation... She was judged unfit, not concerned, too prudish, because of her enthusiasm and her natural optimism which gave her an angelic and innocent air. But she wanted to be on the same wavelength as her girlfriend. She also wanted to be able to touch her and desire her. Nothing to worry about then, right? Anyway, now that she was there... She had never backed down, it was not today that she was going to start.

She returned to the bedroom, where Isolina had continued reading. When she returned, however, the latter put a bookmark in her book and looked at her, looking curious and a little worried.

"Okay, problem solved!" Reena said lightly (exactly the opposite of how she really felt).

"What problem?"

"Korra and Asami are out, so there are only two of us here."

"Wha-... But... are you really serious?"

"Absolutely! Are we going to resume what we were doing?"

She got on all fours on the bed and walked towards Isolina like an unconfident feline. She stopped when they were face to face, their breaths crossing feverishly.

"And what were we doing?" Isolina asked.

"Undressing? Unless I am mistaken, I think that this is more or less a necessity for this kind of activity..."

"Reena… I…"

The words faded, her eyes closed slightly and she moved imperceptibly closer to her lover's mouth. The latter remained motionless and waited for the contact, quick little puffs of trembling air crossing her mouth. When her girlfriend's mouth touched hers, she took a second to respond, not even closing her eyes.

This second too many, Isolina noticed it. She stopped. She moved back to stare at the green eyes.

"You're nervous," she said.

Reena winced. She hoped it wasn't going to show...

"It's my first time, of course I'm nervous… But that's not important."

"It is important. I do care. If the conditions are bad..."

"Oh sure… Don't you dare tell me that you weren't nervous the first time!" the airbender retorted, regaining a bit of composure during this verbal spar and remembering her first aim.

"There is no comparison to make with this."

"Stop making excuses for yourself. What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing you don't already know."

"So what's stopping you? I can see that you don't want to. Tell me what it is."

Isolina pursed her lips. And since she couldn't find any valid answer (at least, no answer she wanted to give), she only kissed Reena vigorously. She held her body close to hers as she laid her on the bed below her.

"You have to let me do it, okay?" she demanded, in the hollow of her ear.

"Why?"

"Shht…"

She didn't want to tell her why. She didn't want to tell her that she didn't want her to see her naked. That she didn't want her to see it.

Pretty soon, she gave in to her desires, to her needs to reveal her skin just for her. So she took off her top. Reena let her do it. She stopped for a few seconds, letting her gaze savor this new view which this time was all for her. She let her hand run from her neck to her chest. She gave a look of almost childish satisfaction to her girlfriend who looked at her, puzzled. She leaned over her, ran a hand behind her back to unclip the hook.

"Thank you..." she whispered in her ear.

Reena didn't quite understand why she was thanking her. She hadn't done anything yet, except for letting her strip her and watch her. She felt her bra being gently removed. She was not embarrassed, it was quite the opposite. But it was probably because Isolina had already seen her naked.

The latter raised her head a little, then looked at her with a slightly shy and pleading air.

"Can I touch you?"

Yes? Why was she asking for permission? The airbender was confused. She was okay with letting her do it but... there was something strange, she couldn't put her finger on it.

She nodded. Isolina smiled at her. She thanked her again and kissed her. Reena hugged her, pulling their bodies and their waist closer to one another.

"Lower your hands," Isolina ordered, stopping.

Reena frowned. She had her hands on her back... Lower? She wanted her to put her hands on her butt? Not very practical if she still had her pants on… So she unbuttoned her partner's pants and slid them gently down to her knees. Her hands went up her thighs, until she could really touch her butt.

Isolina seemed quite satisfied and thought she could resume what she was doing. Her mouth took possession of her partner's neck, one of her hands paced her belly with a rigorous slowness until she stopped at the foot of this round and milky hill with a pink peak. She looked Reena in the eyes when she ran her hand over her curves, catching this little peak of flesh between her fingers. And not taking her eyes off her, she lowered her head to lap her nipple. Then it was her whole mouth that engulfed it and she pinched it with her teeth. Reena jumped, not because she was in pain, just on impulse. Still on impulse, she felt her body get closer to her lover's and one of her hands slipped and ended on Isolina's back again, but this time below her top.

The girl also jumped, moving away from Reena as she grumbled.

"Reena... Your hand... Be careful..."

The young airbender frowned. She removed her hand, but couldn't help but wonder. Why did she have this so bothered look? This very much wounded look? Even this scared look? Not to put her hands too high... Not put your hands on her back... On the back... The back!

"That's the problem!" she exclaimed suddenly.

In an instant, she had reversed their positions: Isolina was under her and she could no longer escape.

"Your back?" she asked.

"What about it?"

Rather than answer her, Reena moved her hand which she had kept on the side of Isolina's thigh to stroke her back. But, suddenly, she was stopped by a firm grip on her forearm and a hand on her shoulder which pushed her away, as if to keep her at a distance.

"Don't do that," Isolina asked calmly.

Reena looked up at her, watching her clear eyes and then her face. She looked tenderly hurt, her eyes a little low, her lips trembling slightly with each breath. Her back was arched, as if to move away from her contact as much as possible.

"Isolina..."

The latter made sure to put her girlfriend's hand further away: it was far too close to this cursed place of her body. She took it in hers and raised it to her lips, before resting her forehead heavily on it.

"Don't touch that," she demanded, her throat tight.

"Do you hate it that much?" her girlfriend asked instead.

"I knew it was a bad idea..." she sighed, pulling her legs up against her chest and squeezing Reena's hand. "You never do things like the others..."

"The others?"

Isolina was silent. Reena thought. She must have been talking about her exes... What kind of relationship could she possibly have with them? Reena didn't like to think about them, or talk about them with Isolina, but...

"You didn't let them touch your back?"

The girl still didn't answer.

"Isolina... I'm not like them."

Still no response.

"You trust me, don't you? I'm your best friend, remember? I know you better than anyone. I know what happened to you... I know about your back."

"That's not true."

"You told me about it, you don't remember?"

"Nobody knows. The only ones who know are my mothers. No one else has seen..."

"I already saw you in a swimsuit, remember?"

"You couldn't see..."

"Not entirely. But I know it's there. It won't change anything whether I see it or not..."

"I don't want you to see it. I don't want anyone to see it."

"I want to see it."

"Looks like we're stuck then," she said cynically, letting go of her girlfriend's hand and burying herself definitively in a cocoon of security which was intended to cut her off from the world.

Reena moved closer. She kissed the other girl's head.

"Isolina... I love you."

Maybe she sighed, or chuckled, or sobbed. Or perhaps quite simply, the sound she uttered was only some heavy and irritating breath which fought erratically and furiously against these words. Reena wasn't sure. She couldn't see much. She was keeping her head in her hands. She was staying in this ball, protected from the affection that her girlfriend wanted to convey to her.

Somehow, the latter tried to take her in her arms. The hug was awfully clumsy and uncomfortable, but she couldn't really do it another way. However, she had to succeed, she had to penetrate these borders, to go beyond this protective wall. It shouldn't be, not with her. She approached her ear, hidden behind a barrier of dark hair.

"Look," she whispered to her, "I will take your t-shirt off."

"No..." she moaned.

"I will. It is necessary."

The sky-blue-eyed girl then raised her head, her imploring expression furiously facing her girlfriend's tenderly determined expression.

"Please... We can resume what we were doing, but don't take it off," she said, kissing her as if to prove to her what she said. "Please don't take it off."

"It hurts you. You have to trust me. You won't be afraid once I see it."

"You won't love me anymore when you see it..." she moaned, putting her head back in her arms.

"Nonsense... Why wouldn't I love you anymore?"

"It's horrible... I hate it. It's awful."

"I'll tell you that when I see it."

She stopped talking. Isolina wondered if that meant she dropped it for a moment. She felt a kiss on the top of her head. She raised her head a little and was surprised to find Reena's lips on hers almost immediately, in a fiery kiss. She allowed herself to be distracted by this warmth, this sweetness. She shouldn't have, because the airbender took the opportunity to pass subtly and quickly behind her.

"Reena!..." she started to scold.

"Shh…"

She was gentle and calm, trying to appease the injured girl as much as possible. She wrapped her arms around her, slipping her hands over her stomach, and kissed her on the shoulder blade. Isolina couldn't help struggling a little, feeling the naked heat of her girlfriend contaminate her back. The latter arched to move away as much as possible, but Reena's hands on her stomach prevented it. She was trapped in this tyrannical cocoon that the young airbender had woven around her.

They stayed like that for a while. Reena waited for Isolina to calm down. Then she grabbed the hemmed of Isolina's top and tried to pull the material up with her hands, but the blue-eyed girl curled up further, preventing her from moving.

"Reena, please... don't do this..."

"And please trust me. I love you. I really love you. Don't let this scar come between us. It's nothing. It's nothing at all. Trust me."

Isolina said nothing. Simply, she didn't force any more than that. Reena waited a moment, then as if the rigid protection of the blue-eyed girl had become softer, she managed to release her hands despite her reluctance. She struggled to remove the top, mostly because Isolina was like a frozen stone statue in a very bad position. But finally, her hands were back on her stomach, she was hugging her lovingly against her, while her bare chest rested against the bare back of the one she loved.

"You see, it wasn't that complicated," she reassured. "Everything's fine. I still love you as much as before."

Isolina giggled, even if it wasn't funny to her, even if this whole situation didn't contained any tad of lightness.

"Can we stop there then?" she asked weakly.

"No, we can't. You have to show me. I want to see you completely naked."

"Don't look," she asked again. "I'll let you do whatever you want, but don't look at it…"

Reena didn't answer. She placed a kiss on her shoulder, then in the hollow of her neck, descending as best she could along her spine until she met the first rough edges of the pale skin.

Isolina shivered. No one had ever touched or kissed her there...

Unable to go any further, Reena put her head back on the blue-eyed girl's shoulder.

"I'm going to take off your bra now," she warned.

Meeting no protest, Reena released one of her hands, trying to find the bra hook. She did her best not to touch her back too much, just the fabric, thinking that it would be better to keep going step by step. So she remained huddled against her, not looking at her pale and wounded back, although she could already feel the mountains that covered this milky plain against her body.

She had a little trouble removing the bra with one hand, and it would surely have made Isolina laugh if she was not so busy keeping her eyes closed and breathing in rhythm, taming this unreasonable fear that woke up furiously with every touch, this immense disgust that she had concerning this part of her body that reminded her so much that she could never forget her past, that it was etched in her, on her.

She let Reena strip her naked, though she still didn't want her to look at that part of her. She still had a slim hope, although she thought it to be totally ridiculous. Rather, she felt that Reena wanted to unveiled her completely. And deep down, she knew it was going to happen... That was one of the reasons she had done nothing so far. Out of selfishness, maybe a little, to protect herself, to keep deep inside of her everything she wanted never to be known: nightmares, fear, blood, pain, grief... Everything what she never wanted to experience again.

When she was done baring her bust, her girlfriend did nothing, much to her relief. She pressed herself against her and hugged her gently. That was all then? No, she knew she wouldn't stop there... She never stopped until she got to the bottom of it.

"We're both naked now," she said. "Well, at least for the upper part..."

"That's what I thought..."

She said nothing more, and a moment elapsed.

"Are you going to stay like that for long?" Isolina asked.

"Until you allow me to look."

"I don't want you to look.

"I know. But I don't want that kind of thing between us. I want all of you. And it's part of you, everything there was before I met you..."

Like a snake, she slid one of her hands down the pale-skinned hip. She reached the very bottom of her lover's back and began to move up.

"N-No!" the latter cried.

She grabbed her hand to remove it from her back. She pushed it against the mattress, her nails digging into Reena's palm. The green-eyed girl said nothing. She just watched Isolina tremble.

"Does it hurt?" Reena asked, curious and calm.

"No," the latter replied. "Not anymore…"

And yet she wanted to scream. Even such a tender touch made her rather want this filthy back to be lacerated, torn off, forgotten.

"Let go of my hand," Reena ordered calmly.

"I can't…"

The airbender did not insist. Or rather, she thought that she would need to use other persuasive ploys. She began to place many kisses on her lover's skin: first on her shoulder, then on her nape, and on her neck, just behind her ear... She played with her lobe, her still-free hand went up along Isolina's belly to settle between her breasts. She heard her sigh peacefully and raise her head a little more to give her more access to her neck.

"Are you trying to trick me with kisses?" she asked her.

"Yes. Is it working?"

"Could be…"

However, she didn't let Reena caress her more intimately. She covered her hand with hers, running her fingers between hers to take it off her skin. She brought her imprisoned lover's hand to her face and kissed the palm of her hand, keeping it against her cheek and breathing calmly.

At least Reena had that gift. Calm her down. It always had been this way. She hoped it could continue. The other girl said nothing, but seemed to close more around her, like a protective and warm barrier.

"Let me see..." she asked her again. "Let me see what they did to you..."

"It's just a scar..." Isolina ended up saying, slightly softened. "It's ugly and it's not interesting."

"I don't care…"

"Why do you want to see it then?"

"Because I know what it means to you... I want you to trust me enough to share this secret with me."

"It's no secret... You already know what happened."

"I know and I love you."

Isolina giggled bitterly. She turned around and wedged Reena between her and the wall. Dark, injured in the past, she kissed her aggressively continuing to exert strong pressure on the hand she had taken hostage and sinking her claws in the skin of her neck. Reena couldn't help but make a sound of pain.

"Love me, huh?" the raven-haired girl. "And who do you love, Reena? Do you also love the little girl they used and destroyed? The one that caused many people's deaths? The little girl who killed so many people? Because that's the truth, Reena. If you love me... then you love a killer, you love a murder. Love me... Can you really love me?"

"Isolina…"

She was crying. She knew she was crying. She couldn't see anything. She could only gasp and let the tears run, trembling. All these things were horrible. Why did she say all of that? Usually it didn't exist. Usually, they were silent, they let her live. But today... Today, she couldn't bear it anymore. Today she was in pain, she was in terrible pain and she was afraid.

She needed Reena. She knew she couldn't love anyone else, she couldn't trust anyone else, she couldn't surrender herself to anyone else. It was either her or nothing. But could she truly love this monstrosity that was herself? She wouldn't blame her if she couldn't stand the truth, if she hated her, if she disgusted her. But she knew she wouldn't be able come back unscathed from this. This moment, this terrible fatal and frightening moment that she had dreaded so much, it was double or quits.

She felt two hands slide down her back and hugged her gently. She couldn't help but put her hands on Reena's biceps and push her away with a painful moan, as if she was fighting against an enemy; but the other girl held on.

"Shhhh," she reassured her, kissing her on the neck where her head was. "I love you. I love everything about you. I love you... you and your back, if that's the question."

So Isolina giggled, crying. Reena continued to kiss her skin, all along her jaw while pacing very gently and slowly her flesh with her fine fingers. But it was a touch that was meant to be comforting, not an intrusive and curious touch. She didn't touch her back anymore, and instead put her hands up her arms, waiting for Isolina to relax a little.

And she also ended up relaxing, dropping on the lap of her girlfriend who reached for her lips in a soft kiss. Her hands wiped the tears on her pale cheeks. Isolina covered them with her own hands. She opened her eyes and gazed at the worried and loving emeralds. She no longer had the strength to fight against her obstinacy. She wanted so badly to believe her. She hoped so much that she was telling the truth. She needed this proof of her love even if it terrified her. Because she loved her. She loved her so much.

She wrapped her arms around her, clasping her to her as she took possession of her lips again. It may have been a little brutal and desperate, but it was both a proof and a security for what was going to happen after.

"Okay..." she finally uttered, her voice still weak and hoarse.

She kept her eyes stubbornly closed, but she felt Reena's excitement. She couldn't help but be afraid of it, she couldn't help thinking that she had just been tricked, she couldn't help thinking that she had been weak out of tenderness but that it wasn't her own decision. Her embrace tightened a little more on the one she loved, as if to fight.

"You're letting me see?" Reena tried to make sure, as she could still feel this resistance, voluntary or not.

"I…"

She couldn't finish this sentence. Her voice abandoned her, she shivered despite herself and she breathed feverishly.

"Isolina..."

Reena tried to relax her again with hugs and a kiss. Then she withdrew, waiting for an answer.

"Again," Isolina demanded.

"Isolina…" Reena began to growl, seeing in this a new way to escape her request.

"Kiss me. Kiss me and I'll show you."

There was a vague hesitation concerning Reena, but she eventually gave in. Isolina sighed. She kissed her again and again. Make the most of this for a little longer. Of her. Of her love.

She put her hands on her neck, then let them escape on her hip, on her chest. She felt Reena jump.

"Isolina…" she started again, grumbling.

"Shhht, I know. Let me do it. Please."

Reena stopped her protests, but put her hands on Isolina's back to remind her of her promise. The latter remembered. She knew very well. But a little longer, just a little while longer…

She tried first to control herself and not to take Reena's hands from her spine. She just got even closer to her, distracting herself from fear with intimacy, with desire. She kissed her lover's skin, sometimes earning a few sighs and moans, so much so that she eventually took her hands off her back to gently push her away.

She had taken her hands in hers and was looking at her.

"I want to make love," she said, "but you have to let me see first."

"You promise?"

"I promise?" she repeated, confused.

"That you will let me make love to you after you see it..."

"Of course."

"Okay…"

Reena thought they had finally agreed on something, but Isolina leaned over to ask for another kiss. So the airbender pointed out to her that this wasn't what they had agreed to.

"One last kiss," the young blue-eyed woman demanded.

"Isolina..." she growled again.

"I need it... It's... not easy... I can't do it without that."

The airbender softened.

"I know," she said to her. "I know I'm asking you something difficult."

So she got closer to give Isolina the kiss she asked for. The girl closed her blue eyes and she didn't open them again. She didn't open her eyes when two hot lips came to rest on hers, neither when she slipped her tongue into her partner's mouth, nor when she put her hands on hers holding them against the mattress, nor when she stepped back on all fours. But when she broke the kiss, she opened them again, her stormy blue eyes looking deep into the two green opals. She put one last kiss on her lover's cheek and, unable to prevent her eyes from giving her a last terrified look, turned around.

She closed her eyes again, curled up a little in spite of herself and grabbed hold of the sheets as if to reassure herself. She tried to tame her body as much as her irrational thoughts.

Don't hate me. Don't be disgusted with me. Please... I love you...

She said nothing. She waited. For a long time, she waited, a too long time.

Reena was frozen for a moment. She brought a hesitant hand to this cursed place to which she shouldn't have access. But it was over now. It would no longer be a condemned place. Isolina gave her permission. Then, at last, her delicate fingers proceeded to touch this land still not trodden by love, accompanied by her curious gaze.

After, she saw these innumerable bumps which—with a light and immaculate skin—covered all the suffering which formerly had made the bloody flesh redden and cry. She saw all these folds which crossed and separated, like an immense crossroads which one would have buried under sumptuous quantities of white sand. It was a spider web, thick and delicate, solid and ancestral, which ruled, mistress of a distant memory.

She didn't find it ugly. Unusual, yes, but it was not that awful. What the scar represented was awful, for Isolina it certainly was terrible to have to see every day of her life that so much suffering was etched in her flesh; but it was not ugly.

"You know..." she started, kissing the scar.

She hugged Isolina again from behind, whispering in her ear:

"You are very beautiful... You are gorgeous... And the scar is beautiful too. If it wasn't there, we might have never met..."

"Mmm... That's a way of seeing things..."

Reena put her hands on her lover's hands, loosening her fists made of mad fear. She kissed her on the neck.

"I will love it as I love you," she whispered in her ear. "I will love everything."

"You won't abandon me?"

"I won't abandon you. Never. "

She emphasized her promise with a kiss her cheek. Isolina then turned around and gave an almost shy smile to her girlfriend, before pouncing on her to kiss and hug her passionately. A last tear escaped and fell on Reena's cheek.

"You're crying..." the older girl noticed.

"I'm happy. Terrified... But relieved."

"Isolina…"

The latter silenced her with a deep kiss.

"You promised me that you would let me make love to you."

"But you're crying..."

"If that's all, I'm going to make you cry too, that way we'll be even."

"What?"

She approached fiercely her ear to whisper provocatively:

"With pleasure. "

But instead of doing what she said, she got up to look Reena in the eye. She saw there a form of perplexity.

"You have to trust me too... I trusted you for my body, trust me for yours."

"I trust you! That's not the problem."

"Then there's no problem. Let me love you…"

She started to play with her mouth, using her teeth and her tongue. She knew that Reena was still nervous. She may have been able to see through her, but the other way around was just as true. But she felt in the intensity of their kisses and in the intimacy of their caresses that this nervousness vanished facing envy. She felt it in each of her breaths, in the least of her movements, in all the touches. For a moment, she pulled back imperceptibly and opened her eyes to check. She only saw desire. It was short, an abrupt and rapid glimpse; Reena didn't let her mouth go any longer than that.

So Isolina naturally kissed her back and unbuttoned her pants to get rid of them. Shortly after, the airbender was absolutely naked below her. So she pulled away from her mouth to appropriate her skin. She bit here and there the skin of her neck, she took possession of her chest as much with her hands as with her mouth. She felt her lover's body react more to her touch. Her breathing became more irregular and stronger, her body opened to her and welcomed her greatly.

She felt Reena's hand slide from her back to under her panties, the only piece of clothing she had left. She couldn't help moaning when she felt her lover's fingers brush against her heated intimacy. And yet she knew that she would not go further, which frustrated her more than she would have liked.

"Take it off..." she ordered perhaps a little too harshly.

"Impatient?" Reena laughed.

"You can't imagine how much."

She just chuckled as she slipped off the only piece of clothing that kept them from being both naked and threw it on the floor. Then she thought it fit to have fun with Isolina's chest as the latter had had fun with hers. She squeezed her hips and let her tongue slide from her navel to her chest where she played with the fruits of desire.

Isolina couldn't restrain a slight cry and a sort of reprimand in the name of her lover, who was doing far too well. She wanted to be able to give Reena pleasure, but at the same time, she had never wanted so much to be touched, she had never wanted so much to surrender herself to someone, so she didn't know if she was going to be able to carry out the task she had started and fight her painful desire to be fully satisfied. She did have an intermediate solution…

She pulled Reena's mouth away from her body to put hers on, and intertwined their bodies together so much that you couldn't tell where one started and the other ended. But above all, she glued their centers so that each friction caused them a groan of pleasure.

"It feels good," Reena noted, amazed.

"And this is only the beginning... "

She then slid her hand between her lover's legs, until entering her intimacy. She felt a disturbed gasp emanate from her owner, so she looked up, worried.

"Is this okay?" she asked her, checking that she hadn't gone too fast.

"Y-Yes... It's just that... your hands are cold."

"Not that cold... If you want my opinion, it's rather than you're hot," she joked with a sly smile before becoming serious again. "But if there is anything..."

Reena nodded, understanding the implications. Isolina also nodded, seriously. She wanted to do this well. She watched Reena, when she started to put her hand in motion, caressing a particularly sensitive area. The young airbender couldn't help but jump and tighten her grip, which made the blue-eyed girl giggle slightly.

"Everything is fine," she said reassuringly.

"I know everything is fine!" Reena persisted.

Isolina chuckled again, then kissed her, caressing her with the hand that was in her hair. She started to move again, setting a certain pace this time.

The green-eyed girl began to gasp, her skin glistening with sweat, and she didn't know what to think because she couldn't understand what her body was doing. She felt Isolina on her, in her, and...

"Ah! Stop it!" she asked expressly, with fierce suddenness.

No, it was too much for her head, for her body, for everything... She couldn't bear it.

"Not now..." Isolina refused. "Just…"

She made one last effort. And at that moment, Reena arched in full length, letting out a scream that she had surely been holding for too long, before falling softly on the mattress.

"... there," the blue-eyed girl finished, removing her hand from her crotch.

She leveled herself to behold her girlfriend's reddened face, her half-open and gasping mouth, her chest rising in rhythm and the thin layer of sweat covering her skin.

"You want to kill me," she ended blurting out after a few seconds.

Isolina then laughed, laying down next to her and kissing her shoulder.

"Are you sure you didn't inadvertently use your bloodbending?" she added. "I feel like I'm going to die..."

"You're exaggerating," the waterbender mocked her.

She let a few seconds pass, then she began to worry. What if Reena had really felt unwell? If she hadn't liked it? She got up a little, worried.

"Tell me, when you say you feel like you're going to die... it's just a figure of speech, yes? Or did you really not like it?"

As an answer, Reena rolled to the side and hugged Isolina.

"I love you," she told her.

It was really her answer to everything, huh? But the blue-eyed girl smiled, finding her cute.

"I'll take this for a 'no'," she replied, with a sly smile.

They stayed within the embrace like this for several minutes, during which Isolina stroked Reena's hair. She took the opportunity to delight her eyes, to continue to detail each part of her girlfriend's naked body. She soon realized that far from having satisfied her, it made her want to do it again... Well, if Reena was in good shape...

"Stop looking at me like that..." the airbender grumbled, burying herself in her hair out of embarrassment. "I feel like you're going to eat me."

The blue-eyed girl burst out laughing.

"That's more or less the idea," she accepted with a sly smile.

In an instant she had put her hands on her partner's butt pressing her against her thigh. She bit her just above the breast and Reena moaned.

"Ready for a second round?" she asked her like a vile temptress.

"I think it's your turn."

Despite her desire to keep the gentle pressure that Isolina exerted on her crotch, she got up slightly to overhang her girlfriend. She quickly realized that her arms were shaking slightly when she leaned on them. It surprised her, but she solved the problem by leaning on her elbows instead. She looked for Isolina's gaze and the turquoise sea invited her. So she leaned over to kiss her. Their embrace was calm and gentle, and neither of them felt the need to inflame it for a moment.

Isolina still put her legs around her lover's waist, feeling the need to keep her close, to take advantage of every inches of skin that was offered to her, of each caress that the contact caused. She buried her hands in the brown hair. Then Reena turned away from her mouth and gave her the same cares she had given her a few minutes before.

So intoxicated with her touches in just a few seconds, Isolina hugged her to her chest, her breath escaping with sighs of contentment. O how much she had desired, dreamed, fantasized this intimacy, this contact, these caresses, her love. But she couldn't have imagined how different the amorous warmth that flowed through her body would be different from what she had felt until then. For the first time, she felt that she could completely let go, surrender to those hands and that mouth that she wanted and wanted her.

Then, a little breathless, Reena looked up. Already horribly missing the contact of her lips against her skin, Isolina instantly propelled her mouth towards hers. She tugged on her upper lip, then collided deeply with her mouth. Surprised by the violence of her lover's need, Reena was unbalanced and advanced her knee, accidentally hitting her girlfriend's crotch. The latter jumped with a muffled noise.

"Oops, sorry," she said, stepping back a bit and smiling apologetically.

"No problem," Isolina whispered, amused by her clumsiness. "But… Reena…"

She took one of her hands, which she kissed before guiding it to her center, placing it and holding it on her sex. Reena shuddered. She felt the warmth and humidity at the entrance to this temple of intimacy.

"Please..." the blue-eyed girl asked in a whisper, brushing her lips with half-closed eyes.

Reena was intensely surprised by the sight of Isolina's state. It was like she was ruled by an uncontrollable thirst, something that went beyond her and made her so vulnerable... Was she the same when Isolina touched her? Did she also have this awful need for her to satisfy her? Was her whole body drowned in desire?

Probably.

She didn't try to find the end of the story. She kissed the blue-eyed girl who began to moan to find—finally—the touch of those beloved lips. However, she hesitated a little more before doing what Isolina had suggested. It wasn't that she was particularly uncomfortable, only... had she been told some time ago—or even this very morning— that she was going to touch her there, she wouldn't have known what to think about it. And she still didn't know what to think of it.

So she just stopped thinking when Isolina repeated a nearly desperate "please" to her. She knew one thing: Isolina had given her pleasure that she had never dared imagine and she wouldn't think twice if she could return her the favor.

So, she decided to get into her, instantly gaining satisfied gasps from her lover. The latter got even closer to her, desperately seeking as much contact as possible, urging her to relieve her.

She did what she could to achieve this end. She wasn't so sure of herself, but she gained confidence as she watched her lover's reactions. She thought she would suffocate under the voracity of her kisses, only saved by the few sweet words slipped between two short breaths, the few wishes, encouragements to continue, not to stop, especially not to stop.

It wasn't long before she came, ending up in basically the same state as her girlfriend a little while ago. The latter smiled both cheekily and joyfully when she saw her expression. She was a little proud of herself too. Just a little bit, because she was pretty sure she wouldn't have persisted until then if Isolina didn't know what she was doing. Well, they would have ended up finding…

"Thank you," the blue-eyed girl said.

She was going to ask her the reason for this thank—hadn't she just done the same for her a little before?—but she added:

"You can't know how good it feels..."

"Eeeeh... I'm pretty sure I do?"

Isolina chuckled before standing up, straddling her and gently putting her lips on hers.

"No, you don't know," she said to her. "I had never felt this before..."

"But... I thought it wasn't your first time?"

"No, you're right, it wasn't... Wasn't the second either, but... It's the first time with the person I truly love. It's different."

Reena stared at her, a little puzzled. She was even a little irritated deep down. She had hated Isolina's previous relationships. All of them, without any exception. And now she hated them even more, because she had agreed to be intimate with those morons. And that wasn't even the problem! She knew very well that she had gone that far, and she wasn't possessive enough that she would resent her for it. No, what bothered her was that she had been used again without any consideration for her feelings.

"Why did you agree to do it with people you didn't like, Isolina?" she ended up asking her. "It's... weird, even... disgusting."

"Do you really want to talk about this now?"

"Yes. Tell me."

"Mmmm… I liked them, in a way. I felt… different. They accepted any version of me that I offered them. It was a bit like a contract, you see? They dated me not knowing much about me, I showed them what I wanted and I complied with what a relationship required. I thought it was going to work out in the end... that I was going to love them completely, that I would forget you..."

She rubbed her nose against Reena's cheek, kissing her cheek.

"But you're the one I love..." she went on. "It has always been you, it will always be you. I love you... I love you so much, if you only knew. And I'm so happy now... I never thought it would ever happen, that you would love me and that I could make love to you... Thank you. Thank you for falling in love with me and giving me all of this."

"Stop with your 'thank you's... I'm sorry I took all this time to realize your feelings... I didn't want to make you suffer..."

"It was worth it. It may have taken years, but it was worth it."

Reena hugged Isolina close to her, a little moved by everything she had just told her. Isolina had already told her that she had fallen in love with her in middle school—so it wasn't quite recent—but to hear her say how much she had struggled against her feelings when all she had always wanted was for Isolina not to suffer ever again because of everything she had already experienced; it baffled her, it terrified her, it saddened her.

Part of her, a little selfishly surely, was happy that the young blue-eyed girl never managed to get rid of her feelings though, since that had allowed them to find each other even if it was much later. And she had high hopes that this time it didn't change. She would make Isolina happy and protect her from any suffering because she deserved a life of happiness.

And eventually, Isolina took refuge in her warmth and hugging each other, they ended up dozing off for one moment, a peaceful and warm moment, cradled in a sparkling rest.

* * *

 **A/N: So… what did you think? It would be great if you leave a comment/review in the box just below! Thank you for reading!**

 **Other pieces of information:**

 **\- The story is totally written:** **last chapter is chapter 30** **, it'll be released on two months at most.**

 **\- I have a few side stories that I want to share with you guys, and I don't know yet whether I'll publish them in this story or I'll make a special story for that. You can tell me if you prefer one of those two options. (On FFnet it's more complicated than on AO3 where I'm pretty sure I'll be separated and linked to the main story.) I'll keep you updated anyway and there will be a link somewhere, whether it'll be in here or on my profile, don't worry. Plus, you can still send me a PM if you don't find them.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you guys next time! Maybe it'll take less than a month. Depends how busy I am. See you all!**

 **Lion**

* * *

 ** _Answers reviews "guest":_ **

**Guest** **: Hi!**

 **Aw, that's cute. I would never abandon my fans on such a long and heavy story, don't worry ;) But thank you for your review! It's thanks to that I can keep working and not abandoning even when it's hard and tiring :)**

 **I hope to see you again!**

 **Lion**

 **no name guest** **: Hi!**

 **First: I love your pseudo :p**

 **Then, thank you for your review!**

 **Oops, sorry about the time jump? A few readers already told me it was weird how I worked on the end of this story, but actually everything was settled for** _ **this**_ **chapter. The one I truly wanted to write was chapter 28 and it needed the other ones, that's why it appears a bit rushed, but let's be honest: developing everything would have taken me at least 100 chapters and that was not the purpose. So, sorry if it confused you.**

 **Concerning Isolina and Chitra's first time, I don't think I'll write it because it wasn't interesting enough… For me, at least. Basically, it was awkward, Isolina wasn't really into it and was really wary but let her do, and yes, Chitra certainly cheated because of this later. (Can't really blame her that much, though… And Isolina doesn't blame her for this either, because she just doesn't care one bit.)**

" **glad isoline got rid of that boy before Korra fed him to naga": loved that line :D**

 **Thank you again for your review! Hope to see you again next chapter!**

 **Lion**


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